30 Kisses: Kousuke and Rio
by SoulSeeker
Summary: They always made a great team... A collection of short stories about Kousuke and Rio for 30Kisses, the wonderful LJ community. —Ticket to Ride: Rio, you're practically glowing.—
1. Waiting

**Title: **Waiting  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #2—news; letter  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** And so, they would continue to wait…there wasn't much else they _could_ do.

_The first story of thirty… enjoy xD_

* * *

The rain fell hard against the sidewalks of Osaka that night; the sound was as beautiful as music to some, yet as horrid as nails on a chalkboard to others…unless of course, you were Kousuke Asazuki, in which you really could've cared less about harmless falling water.

"Man! Today of all days," the red head muttered in frustration, as he glanced up to the sky from which the rain fell. "I hope his flight wasn't delayed…"

He ran as if there wasn't even any ground below him, and finally slowed down to a jog, panting now, as the local hospital came into view – his destination. He slowly approached it and caught sight of a young stray cat that was innocently sniffing at his feet. He looked up to Kousuke with a pair of the most shimmering golden eyes he had ever seen.

"Hey little guy," he said smiling. He knelt down and held out his hand, letting the cat observe it to its heart's content. "Sorry, I'm not Rutherford, you know—I can't magically summon dried fish out of my coat pocket."

Kousuke chuckled, letting the feline climb up his arm to his face, and he began to nuzzle it. He was warm, and he wouldn't have minded if he had just stayed there forever—however he did notice the time on his watch, and he was already running late.

"All right, all right," he said giggling, as the cat purred. "I have to go okay? Go on and give that cute act to some other gullible human."

The cat licked Kousuke's cheek, almost as if he could understand him, and jumped off gracefully, obeying his commands. He sighed, standing up, and finally was able to do a fast-paced walk into the hospital. He went directly to the front desk, which luckily had been void of any lines or masses of annoying people to deal with.

"Hello…erm, I need to see Miss Takeuchi of room 204 please," Kousuke said, as politely as his ego would let him.

The woman at the desk turned around and just smiled. "Ah yes, Miss Rio," she replied. "You must be Mr. Asazuki. She's been expecting you—in fact she just called a few minutes ago to ask if you had come in yet. You can go on up and see her."

Kousuke sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it figures," he replied. "I'm running late and she's already nagging at me, that spoiled brat…" He shook his head and began to walk away. "Thanks."

The nurse waved at him, as Kousuke began to power-walk up the escalators, passing everyone in front of him, up to the second floor.

"204, 204…" he muttered, glancing at the room numbers. "Aha!"

He read the sign on the door which said 'Rio Takeuchi' under the 'Patient' field, making sure it was the right room, and then he knocked on the door. "Hey princess! Open up, it's time to go get your piano-playing sweetheart from the airport!" he exclaimed.

Rio had opened the door swiftly the second he finished his sentence, giving Kousuke a small shock. She had a glare on her face and she was all dressed and ready to go pick up Eyes from the airport from his 11:00pm flight, just as they had agreed.

"Well come on, let's go," he said, motioning for her to come out. "We're already going to be –"

She suddenly shoved a piece of paper at his chest without saying a word, and Kousuke could've sworn he saw tears in her eyes. She walked back inside and sat on her hospital bed, as the red-haired teen blinked in confusion, bending down to pick up the paper that had now fallen to the ground. He noticed that it looked like much a letter, as he slowly and carefully unfolded it, keeping an eye on Rio's facial expression, since it seemed to be the only way she was communicating for now. He followed her inside and shut the door behind him as he glanced over the paper.

It was hardly a letter – very few words were written on it, and he could see now what had gotten her so upset. He rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. " '_Tour taking longer than expected…please don't expect me back for another week, and I'm sorry I've been out of contact. I promise to call soon with details…_' " Kousuke read mockingly. "That _bastard_." He crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the trash can with an angry and annoyed look on his face.

"Six weeks! Six weeks he's been gone on that damn tour, and now it's going to be seven!" Rio exclaimed. "I mean really! He can play the piano _just_ as well in Japan as any other place, so I just don't understand why he has to go _away_ forever to do it!"

Her voice got weaker and began to tremble, as she wrapped her arms around her knees and pressed her face against them in an attempt to hide her watery eyes. Kousuke walked over to her and sat next to her on the bed.

"Hey come on, don't cry," he said. "You _know_ I can't cheer people up to save my life…"

Rio looked up at him, wiping away the few tears she had shed. "Yeah…you're right," she said with a smirk.

"Was that a smile I saw?" Kousuke asked coyly.

She stuck her tongue out at him with a playful smile on her face. "Maybe…" she replied. She had to admit, he was amusing, and no matter what anyone said, he _was_ good at making people feel better – even when he was just being his regular idiot self.

He moved back about a foot or so on the bed so that he could comfortably lean against the wall, as he gave Rio a pat on the head, chuckling. The girl was cute when she wasn't busy being annoying.

"So where's Ryoko?" Rio asked. "Wasn't she supposed to come here with you?"

"Oh yeah," Kousuke replied. "I forgot to mention, she has a big track meet tomorrow early in the morning, so she said she couldn't make it."

She nodded. "Oh," she said. "That's…understandable. I guess it's just us then…"

He just shrugged. "Unless you want me to leave," he said.

"Don't. You'll just catch a cold and then get _me_ sick later," she said, looking outside at the rain, which showed no signs of stopping.

He couldn't help but chuckle again. "Yeah right – and then you'd be stuck in this hospital even longer," he said. "Those hunters don't let up on you, do they?"

"Tch…at least I'm alive," she said smugly. She fell back onto the bed, grabbing the fluffy pillow that was on it to hug like a teddy bear – she was definitely tired.

Kousuke smirked. "Yup…we Blade Children are like cockroaches…you can step on us, but we always come back," he said.

Rio simply sat back up, raising an eyebrow at him with a skeptical look. "Did you just call me a cockroach?"

He blinked, trying to look as innocent as possible as he lightly scratched the back of his head. "…No?"

"Yes you did! I can't believe you, you jerk!" Rio laughed, as she took the pillow she had been hugging and launched it at Kousuke. He easily caught it and set it on his lap, comfortably resting his arms on top of it.

"Thanks!" he said, with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Hey! Give me back my pillow!" she demanded.

"No way! Besides,_ you_ were the one who gave it to _me_!" Kousuke reminded her with a laugh. The girl folded her arms and growled.

"Fine! Take the pillow!" she replied mockingly with a smile. She approached him and laid her head right on the pillow, making Kousuke move his arms out of the way.

He simply shrugged, seeming completely unfazed. They both remained dead silent, and for a while, all that could be heard was the sound of the falling rain. Rio turned and laid on her stomach, looking up at Kousuke, and he felt almost surprised, as if it was the first time he had ever really seen her eyes.

"Do you think he'll come back, Kousuke?" she asked softly.

"Rutherford? Of course!" he replied. "He's _got_ to."

She frowned, having expected no other reply out of him. "You don't think he's running away?"

Kousuke paused, unsure of exactly how to reply, and unconsciously began to lightly play with her pigtails, slowly combing them out with his hand. "Maybe…but even if he is, he won't be able to do it for long," he said. "You know that."

She nodded; they had talked about this before. "True…" she replied. "I guess we have nothing to do but wait…"

"Yep," he said with a sigh. "After all, it's not like _we're_ going anywhere."

"Mmhmm…so we keep on waiting…"

"Yep…for hope…salvation…"

"For Eyes…"


	2. The Color of Blood

**Title: **The Color of Blood  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #19—red  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** What's the_ true_ color of Kousuke's hair? Rio intends to find out…

_I love redheads, don't you? xD 2/30. Thanks to all the reviews from the first story :D_

* * *

The sound of sirens; piercing pain; muffled sounds of everyone talking about you, surrounding you; and of course the obnoxious little device that went over your mouth to help you breathe.

The Blade Children weren't new to these things at all; in fact they were quite used to it, as they continuously faced the Hunters in the tedious battles they would instigate every so often to try to take the lives of their 'prey.' The Cursed Children found yet another way to cheat death and escape impending doom, as Rio had once again found herself in the Emergency Room; this time, Kousuke was right along side her. They waited there with all the other strangers that had managed to severely hurt themselves that day, seeming completely unfazed, and after about a half an hour of waiting and maybe two hours of operation, they had finally gotten the medical attention they were there for.

"All right then, we've just finished patching up your wound on your stomach and arm; all your vital spots are still okay, so after a night or two, you should be free to go. Same story for you, Rio." The doctor that been patiently working with Kousuke and Rio gave them both a smile. "Just get some rest for now. In about an hour or so, we'll move you up to your rooms and then we'll allow you some visitors."

Rio made no response, and Kousuke just turned away arrogantly as the doctor left the room. He grumbled, sitting up on his bed as soon as the doctor was out of sight, and he folded his arms. "Stupid doctor," he mumbled. "Who does he think he is, treating us like babies? I'll see visitors when I _want_ to – I don't need his damn permission!"

Shuffling sounds could be heard from the other bed, a few feet away from Kousuke's as Rio sat up as well. "Oh, stop complaining. You're acting like it's your first time in the hospital," she said in an annoyed tone of voice. "You've been here before – you know how it works."

Kousuke growled. "Doesn't mean I agree with it," he replied haughtily. He sighed, laying back down faced away from Rio, his head resting upon his arms. A silence had engulfed the room, with the exception of the dulled murmurs of the nurses and doctors from outside, and it didn't seem to bother either of them. The redhead had planned on sleeping the time away until they would finally be moved up to their rooms, but a damp feeling on his pillow had distracted him and had up sitting up again within minutes.

"What the heck?"

Upon closer inspection, Kousuke could see red splattered all over his pillow – and it was wet. He lightly patted the pillow, and based on the smell, he decided it was definitely blood; his own blood, which had probably gotten on the pillow from the wound on his arm somehow. He sighed discontentedly and let out a low growl. "Great," he muttered. He flipped over his pillow to the other side, which was, lucky for him, dry.

He then could hear snickering from Rio, who sat up upon hearing Kousuke mutter to himself. "Was that blood, or just hair dye?" she teased with a smirk.

"Shut up! You know this is my natural hair color," Kousuke replied defensively.

Rio just giggled. "You're lucky then," she said. "I would want blood-colored hair."

He just raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a look as if she was the craziest person he knew. "Maybe you should get your eyes checked," he said. "My hair is _not_ the color of blood."

"_I_ think it is," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's not!" he said defiantly.

She just smirked. "Why don't we find out?" she asked; and with that, she grabbed her adorable bunny plushie that doubled as a backpack, and she pulled out her small pocket knife she kept with her for protection. She put the knife to her wrist, the blade barely kissing the surface of her skin.

"Hey, stop playing around!" Kousuke exclaimed. "Why do you still have that, anyway? Put it away!"

Rio stuck her tongue out at him, as she put the blade back in her backpack where she had kept it to successfully avoid its confiscation. "You're right…your hair's more pinkish, anyway," she laughed, as she zipped up the bunny backpack and hugged it like a plushie once more.

He narrowed his eyes into a glare. "It's not pink either," he said defensively. "You were closer when you said blood-red."

She raised an eyebrow with a smirk, closely observing his hair. "I don't know…" she said wearily with a teasing tone.

"It's – not – pink," Kousuke hissed.

"Blood-red, then," she said conclusively.

"It's not that either!"

"Then what _is_ it!" Rio demanded, folding her arms.

Kousuke just growled. "You know there's nothing wrong with leaving it at just _red_," he said. "And what the heck am I doing arguing with you about my hair color anyway? Who cares! Geez!"

Laughing at his aggravation, Rio laid back down. "Red's just not detailed enough," she said. "That could mean a lot of things. And details matter…"

"Not when we're talking about _hair_!" he replied; he growled again and began to mumble.

"Do, too," Rio replied softly. Soon after, Kousuke threw his blood-stained pillow at her.

"Shut up and go to sleep," he commanded.

Just as the pillow was flying across the room, the door opened again, which called both of their attention as Rio caught the pillow absent-mindedly. The doctor that had operated on them before, who was at the door, just blinked and shrugged, looking a little confused. He just put up an innocent smile, as if he knew what was going on – or if he didn't know, he didn't want to find out.

"Just wondering if you guys wanted to go to your rooms, since they're ready for you…" he said. "If I'm interrupting something, I –"

"No," they both said firmly in unison. The two looked at each other, and then away again, each feeling a mixture of surprise and resentment with a tint of embarrassment. They both looked at the doctor humbly; Kousuke remained stubbornly quiet, and Rio simply gave him an innocent smile, hugging her bunny plushie tighter.

"We'd _love_ to go to our rooms now…"


	3. Following the Clues

**Title: **Following the Clues  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #1—look over here  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** You remember playing this as a kid, don't you, Kousuke?

_This was actually inspired by a game I used to play in my elementary school – and, I'm dedicating this to **tamashiipurizuma**, because she's awesome and gave me a review for both my chapters so far xD_

_Anyway, enjoy the story. Please R&R!_

* * *

The morning summer sun shone with all its might on a rather cheerful Saturday, and though Kousuke didn't _like_ sleeping the day away, he also didn't consider the blaring sun in his eyes as an acceptable way to wake up.

It was too late, though; he was awake now, and the chances of him going back to sleep now were virtually zero. He opened his eyes with a sigh, and he sat up quickly to look around, being confused for the moment as to where he was. The four walls surrounding him weren't the ones he usually woke up to, but after a few moments, he finally remembered exactly what he was doing in Eyes' skyscraper.

Kousuke's curious green eyes peered out of the window, checking on the weather, which he had noticed was much calmer than the night before. That wasn't hard to achieve of course, considering that the night before harbored a violent thunderstorm which managed to scare Rio immensely—but then again, that wasn't a difficult task either.

The two of them agreed to spend the night and wait out the storm there with Eyes' permission, as opposed to trying to get home in the horrible weather—which Rio refused to do anyway—and if he remembered correctly, they all ended up going to bed relatively early.

He felt a hunger gnaw at his stomach, and he reached over to the nightstand to get his yellow-tinted glasses so that he could navigate his way to some breakfast; however, his hand found nothing of the sort. He sighed in frustration, finally getting up to look, and his eyes weren't able to find them either. He looked all around on the ground, figuring that if it wasn't there, it must've fallen; but again, nothing.

He growled and at that moment he caught sight of a small piece of paper, placed exactly where his glasses had been, and it definitely hadn't been there the night before. He picked it up out of curiosity and opened it, tilting the paper so that the sunlight would hit it at an exact angle where he could read it.

_In the mood for a game?_

_You are if you want your glasses back. Just follow the clues—you remember playing this as a kid, don't you?_

_Have fun and good luck! Your first place to look is—_

_The piano…_

Kousuke smacked his head with a sigh; Rio's handwriting was so easy to pick out for him that it wasn't even funny. Of course, seeing as how she didn't type it up, she obviously wasn't trying to hide the fact that it was her; so he figured he could safely assume that it was all just fun and games.

"Piano, huh?" he smirked. "All right, Rio, I'll play your little _game_…"

He pocketed the note and walked over to the only piano in the whole place, situated right near the huge window, where Eyes liked to play and get a lovely view at the same time. He ran his hands through the keys once, listening for any irregularities, and then he lifted up the top to inspect the piano wires inside, upon hearing something that didn't register as 'normal.'

Sure enough, a small note had been snagged between a couple of the piano wires towards the low end. He grabbed it and unfolded it hastily, wanting to know what else the little brat had in store.

_What took you so long?_

_The next place is near, and extraordinarily fun;  
__No wonder its Ryoko's favorite place to run…_

"Ryoko's favorite place to run…" Kousuke read aloud. He put a hand to his chin, looking out of the windows, and suddenly a smirk came to his face, as he snapped his fingers. "Got it!"

The redhead found himself at Tsukiomi Academy's track field, simply grinning to himself. "Y'know, this is kinda fun," he said, to no one in particular. "Now…where in this place would the next note be…?"

He walked around the track slowly, his eyes lingering on a certain tree that he always sat under whenever he would watch Ryoko race. He kept walking, but he backtracked when he saw a piece of white paper, pinned to the tree with a small nail. It surprised him a bit, but apparently, Rio knew that he didn't sit anywhere else at the races.

He snatched the paper with another satisfied smirk, which only got wider when he also noticed a small Hershey's Kiss taped to the note.

_Congratulations—you're half-way there!—  
__So here's a kiss for you;  
__But the real prize has yet to come.  
__So look for the next clue!_

_It's in a place you might expect,  
__As yellow as the sun  
__So you'll probably know where to look  
__when I say, "Robertson!"_

Kousuke chuckled, amused by Rio's silly, childish rhyming, and by this time, he had completely forgotten that he was actually looking to get his glasses back. His eyesight wasn't_ that_ bad after all, and they were mostly for show anyway. He found his way back to his own house, where he kept his stuffed chick, Mr. Robertson, and as he got a hold of the next note, he couldn't help but wonder how Rio had managed to get all of this done, and why.

He had to admit, however, he was having fun.

_So close, so close—you're almost there!  
__Now, what do you use to comb your hair?_

He nonchalantly walked upstairs to his room, walking directly to where he always kept his comb, right in front of the mirror. However, he had to do a little searching, since someone—inevitably, Rio—had moved it. He instead found it in his small drawer he had, which was also in front of the mirror, so he didn't have to do that much searching.

_You might be confused at this next place,  
__But afterwards you'll be done.  
__All you have to do is go back  
__To the place where this all had begun._

"'The place where this all had begun'… does she mean Rutherford's place?" Kousuke asked himself. He almost expected a 'yes' to appear on the note before him. Why was she doing this?

He slowly walked back to the skyscraper, a good ten minutes away, and he considered stopping the game, just to see how she would react…but he was almost done, and he was curious as to what she was up to.

At last he found himself back at Eyes', and he walked inside; he had nearly forgotten how big the place was, and he didn't recall anything from the clue that told him where the last note would be. The _exact_ place that it had begun would've been the nightstand; but was that what she meant?

It was the best lead he had, so he went there to check—and surely enough, he saw his glasses there, emanating their yellow tint color, and again, a note was attached. She had put it and the glasses there after he had left that morning with the first note—crafty one, that Rio. He put his glasses on as he read the note.

_Congratulations, condolences, and kudos to you!  
__You suffered bad rhymes, yet made it right through.  
__So here are your glasses, attached to this note  
__Now turn around—and to your friends you can gloat._

Kousuke raised an eyebrow, turning around slowly and suddenly jumped back, seeing Rio there at his door.

"Have fun?" she asked simply, a smirk tugging at her lips.

He chuckled, pocketing the last note. "Well, it certainly brought back memories…" he said.

Rio nodded. "Mmhmm, and did you ever manage to figure out why I did all of this?"

The redhead blinked, finally remembering that he had been wondering about the reasoning behind this whole game. "Well…I thought about it, and at one point I _thought_ I knew it, but—"

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a stare, and finally he just sighed, giving in.

"No…"

Rio smirked in triumph, chuckling as she shook her head. "You really had no idea, did you?" she asked. "Look at the date."

She lightly nodded her head in the direction of the calendar that was hanging right behind the door, and his gaze followed. It was Saturday…August 28th. His mouth dropped open in disbelief—how had he been so oblivious? Did the game distract him that much?

Rio stuck her tongue out at him with a smile upon seeing that he finally realized what was going on, and suddenly, Eyes and Ryoko—his two other close friends—and even Ayumu and Hiyono, appeared behind her. They all held presents in their hands, and after glancing around to everyone, Rio smiled again at Kousuke.

"Happy Birthday, idiot."


	4. Chocolat Noir

**Title: **Chocolat Noir  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #23—candy  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral, I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** There was only one reason that Valentine's Day was even worth celebrating for Rio.

_Happy Haha-You're-Single day :D Sorry you guys had to wait a tad long for this—I've had it done for a little while now but I have been saving it for Valentine's Day, lol._

* * *

No one around Tsukiomi Academy ever took much stock in Valentine's Day; not even the couples. They still did things together, but it was never really different than any other day.

There wasn't any exception for the Blade Children. In fact, the only reason they could even remember the holiday was the vast amount of pink and red around the school, all over the advertisements for the upcoming Valentine's Day dance—to which the Blade Children were proud to NOT be going to.

There was only one reason that Valentine's Day was even worth celebrating for Rio.

And that was chocolate.

She always enjoyed Eyes' melons he constantly got for her, and she never wanted him to stop buying them for her; but Ha-Ha-You're-Single day was the one day of the year where Rio really craved chocolate.

Dark, dark Godiva chocolate.

This year was no different. She always managed to get her chocolate somehow; sometimes she would con Kousuke into buying it, and just last year, Kiyotaka had sent her some… from wher_ever_ he was. Regardless however, they addressed the actual idea of Valentine's Day as little as possible, and that suited them just fine.

Admittedly, the holiday was hard to ignore; couples hugging, kissing, exchanging gifts in the hallways before school, and even the random interruptions during class for rose deliveries, for the cowards who wanted to send their valentines anonymously. The teachers never appreciated that, though it didn't stop the students from sending them that way anyway.

Rio never paid much attention to them. She had never gotten one, never wanted one, and never even expected one from anybody. She just went through her classes as normal, almost sleeping through some of them, occasionally making sure to look like she was paying attention; she never drew much attention to herself.

So she was quite surprised when the teacher actually did call her name when the class was interrupted for deliveries for the second time that period.

She immediately perked her head up, half-wondering what she had done wrong as she watched the approaching teacher with an odd stare.

"You know, _normal_ secret admirers send roses," the teacher told her. "But at least you got some chocolate out of it…"

She blinked, as she heard murmurs of laughter from her classmates. "Huh?"

A small package was dropped on Rio's desk, and as she opened the red bag, the first thing she noticed was, naturally, the chocolate. It was a smaller amount than she usually got, but it was enough to make her smile nonetheless; especially when the writing on the brown ribbons called her attention. _La Maison du Chocolat.._. It was _French_ chocolate, and by the looks of it, incredibly expensive.

Who had gotten it for her and why still eluded her, though she did examine the box more and managed to find the words _chocolat noir_ tucked away under one of the ribbons. She knew enough to at least decipher that it meant "dark chocolate," and it was confirmed when she opened the box. She closed it back up again however, a little too suspicious of the unknown sender to eat any of it.

She looked in the bag again, simply to see what the teacher had found so unusual that she had to mention to it to the entire class. To say the least, the girl was surprised.

Irises?

Unusual was an understatement. No one else sent irises other than Kiyotaka; and they hadn't been in with him in months. Ayumu and Madoka hadn't either, judging by the way Ayumu had been mentioning to Hiyono about how sad Madoka had looked that morning.

She looked inside again, turning the bag inside out to try to find a card or any message of any sort, but to no avail. At this point, she was also completely ignoring the teacher, though she didn't much care. It was getting to the end of class anyway, and she had just let them have some independent time to get started on an assignment that was due next class—the time that Rio never really intended on using.

Kanone was the only other person she could think of that would send irises; but again, they had lost contact with him since he had gone to America. She supposed that it _could_ have been Eyes, but she could never see him putting that much effort just to get her a gift for a holiday like Valentine's Day.

Still though, he made the most sense; he certainly had the money.

She could think of nothing else for the rest of the day, and she became borderline obsessed until she finally saw Kousuke after school. They were to meet Ryoko and then go watch her compete in a race that day. She just grinned.

"So, then—did you get anything for her?" Rio asked teasingly.

"Who, Ryoko?" Kousuke responded. "No way. This holiday's so pointless, and she thinks so too—why would I waste money on it?"

She shrugged, remembering her gift from earlier that morning. "Just wondering," she replied—it was easy to notice that she was distracted.

"Why? Did _you_ get something?" he asked.

"Maybe," she replied, with a devilish smirk only Rio could pull off. She stuck her tongue out at him as they approached the track field where they would meet Ryoko and see her run.

Kousuke slightly chuckled. A smirk slowly set on his lips, and his attitude suddenly changed. "Oh, really?" he shot back. "Because _I_ was under the impression that you _did_ get something—chocolate; possibly dark, possibly French…and I'll take a stab in the dark and say…irises?"

Rio's eyes widened as she turned to him. "So it was you!" she exclaimed accusingly. "You were the one who made the teacher embarrass me in front of the whole class!"

He folded his arms and looked away in disbelief. "So _that's _the thanks I get for actually getting you something for Valentine's Day?" he spat. "Fine!"

She sighed, slapping her forehead. "Okay, okay. That didn't come out right," she admitted.

"Hmpth." Kousuke looked ahead to the track, still not making eye contact with her.

"Didn't you just say that you didn't want to waste your money on this holiday?" Rio asked. "What happened? If anything, I would've thought you would just get Ryoko something…"

He just shrugged, still looking a little upset. "Yeah well… you like the holiday more than she does," he replied. "And…"

There was a pause, and Rio turned to him. "And what?"

Kousuke just smirked. "She's just not as amusing to watch on a sugar-high."

She rolled her eyes. "Haha, very funny," she said sarcastically. She motioned him closer with her pointer finger, looking angry, though she wasn't at all. "Come here."

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Oh just do it!" she demanded.

He sighed, bending down just a tad to get to her height, and he moved a little closer to her face. "What?"

Rio planted a small friendly kiss on his cheek, petting his hair before he stood upright again, and she grinned. "Thanks."

Kousuke's face now matching the color of his hair, they finally found a set of good seats from which to watch the race.

She could finally eat her chocolate without worrying that it could be another attempt on her life—it was just a simple gift from one of her best friends.

As expected, the favored candidate Ryoko Takamachi had won the race by a landslide—and the phrase 'eat my dust' came to everyone's mind. Kousuke and Rio waited for her outside of the locker rooms and caught a glimpse of her approaching, with the newly acquired gold metal hanging proudly from her neck.

Rio just smirked and looked at Kousuke. "You know that if she finds out you got this chocolate for me, she's going to kill you and make you buy some for her too, right?" she asked. She casually put another piece of chocolate in her mouth.

Kousuke hung his head with a sigh as Ryoko got closer. "I know…"

_**

* * *

** _

**A/N:** How Kousuke could afford expensive, french chocolate, I don't know, lol. But I hope you liked it anyway.


	5. Dreams and Hallucinations

**Title: **Dreams and Hallucinations  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #6—the space between dream and reality  
**Rating:** Teens (PG-13)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral, I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** She's just gone; just like that. Like dust in the wind…

'_And now, for something totally different.' … heheh…here you go—have some angst. And uhh, please don't kill me for this n.n;;_

* * *

She said she knew what she was doing.

And even I was willing to admit, she wasn't usually wrong—really, she wasn't. Most of the time, she did know. She knew everything that was going on; no one ever thought she did, and _boy_, did she use that to her advantage! She was a feisty one, and that was one thing I liked about her.

And maybe that's what I miss the most about her, too.

No, she didn't run away. She knew very well that wouldn't have changed anything, and her pride was much too strong for that. She stayed right here with the rest of us, where she belonged—and right here in Osaka is where she'll remain for all eternity. It was what she wanted, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

She's just gone; just like that. Like dust in the wind…

Call it 'passed away,' 'moved on to a better place'—sugarcoat it however you like, but it all means the same thing. She's just dead… and there's no use in using any flowery language to make it sound better.

Haven't figured out who I'm talking about yet?

Rio Takeuchi—the little annoying one everyone always seems to forget about, who was _abnormally_ good at creating bombs…too bad her own creation backfired on her.

Really, she was_ stupid _about the whole thing! She knew there wasn't enough time, yet she was determined to disarm that thing anyway… That's the problem with weapons. If you have it, then it's so easy for it to be stolen and used against you. It all happened in a matter of seconds…

I didn't cry though. Not when the bomb exploded, and not when the doctors broke the news. I came pretty damn close, but I fought hard to hold back. She wouldn't have wanted me to cry—not over something as common as death. She was never even scared of it.

I still have her cremation to go to, of course; that is, if four o' clock ever decides to come. I guess you could say it really hasn't sunk in yet. I've always taken her for granted; we always fought, and she always managed to annoy the hell out of me. But like the saying goes: 'You never know what you have until you lose it.'

_Knock, knock, knock._

3:57pm already! When did _that_ happen? That means it's probably Ryoko, or Rutherford.

"It's open," I yell out casually.

And the door bursts open—but still, I don't move.

"Hey, Ryoko."

She's wearing a nice black dress, with spaghetti straps and a black jacket to protect her from the cold. It looks a lot classier than my tux I rented; but truthfully, I couldn't afford much else.

"You ready, Kousuke?" she asks. "Rutherford's waiting for us."

I finally get up, nodding my head, and I've got one foot out the door when Ryoko suddenly stops right in front of me.

"Wait—do you have the doll?"

Oh, yeah, the doll. That bunny plushie she loved so much that Rutherford insisted be cremated with her. Somehow I wound up with it.

"I'll go get the darned old thing," I tell her with a sigh. I seriously had my doubts that she needed it, but if I didn't go up and get it, _some_one would.

I'm running up the stairs and I keep running until I finally reach my room, and suddenly, I'm hearing footsteps that aren't my own. They're echoing mine—stopping when I stop, running when I run, and walking when I walk.

Distractions aside, I'm finally in my room, standing right over my bed. Like usual, it's messy and unmade, and I like it that way. It makes things easier to find—though Rio always bugged me about it.

Clean bed or not, however, that damned thing was not in my room. I've spent nearly ten minutes now, and I'm finally beginning to give up.

"Hey, idiot…are you looking for something?"

I know that voice. I _know_ that voice. But no. It's not possible. No matter how much anyone wants it to be, it's not. I'm going insane.

"...R…Rio! But…you're… I mean, you're… not… you're dead! Aren't you?"

She's smirking at me. How is she smirking at me?

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me, Kousuke? Am I dead?"

Yes, yes you are. I saw it happen. I heard the doctors. I saw the body! Come on, mouth, why aren't you moving?

Great…now she's glaring at me.

"Well, fine then. I missed you too, _jerk_."

I approach her slowly…I've just got to see this up close. I've never believed in ghosts, but this might just be a good reason for me to start. No luck though; she keeps moving away from me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I ask her furiously. What, is she suddenly afraid of me now?

"What the hell do you think _you're_ doing?" she repeats.

She's being difficult again, just like she's always been.

"Trying to get closer!" I reply. "What, is that a crime now?"

She shakes her head. "I can't allow that," she tells me. "They won't let me." Of course, she conveniently ignores my question.

I can only stare at her now; who is this girl? She looks like Rio and sounds like Rio, but she's not like her at all…though I guess dying would have _some_ dire effects on you.

"I think you're insane." I fold my arms, keeping my eyes on her as she cradles her plushie in her arms like a baby. She simply laughs, almost mockingly.

"You're the one claiming to see dead people, and you're calling me insane?" she retorts. "I've seen people at an insane asylum more normal than you. I know you, Kousuke."

"Okay. You're _seriously_ creeping me out. I think I'm going to go now…" I'm slowly moving towards the door, and part of me was expecting everyone to suddenly come out in front of me and yell 'April Fools!' Annnyy minute now.

"You should probably wake up about now…"

The voice makes me turn around, and suddenly she's two inches away from my face, floating—yes, _floating_—in mid-air. "What?"

She suddenly kisses my forehead, and she's smiling that same innocent smile she always did. "I said, you should wake up now. Wake up, Kousuke…"

"_Kousuke!_"

Suddenly, I feel a slap across my face and my eyes burst open. Ryoko and Rutherford are standing over me—but where am I?

I'm in my room…and I have Rio's plushie in my hands.

"What do you think you're _doing_, falling asleep like that? We're going to be _late_ because of you! Now let's go!"

Before I know it, Ryoko's got my arm and is dragging me towards the limousine that was to take us...somewhere… Right! The funeral…but…wasn't I just talking to her?

"Where's…Rio?"

Stupid question.

"Idiot," Ryoko snaps. "Where do you_ think_ she is?"

I finally notice Rutherford staring at me with his cold blue eyes. "Still in denial, are we?" he asks.

I shake my head, feeling very dazed. "I…guess it was just a dream..." I let the subject drop at that point, but a part of me didn't believe what I said.

Not for a minute.

* * *

_**A/N:** Okay, that was REALLY weird, lol. Yay for my first character death... o.o  
I shall resume my fluffiness starting next story :D …hope you liked this anyway…_


	6. Changing Perspective

**Title: **Changing Perspective  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #14—radio-cassette player  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Rio, why are you soafraid of thunderstorms?

_Back to the fluff! Don't worry guys, she's alive again :P_

* * *

It was official: Kousuke would never understand women. And he didn't care enough to try anymore either. He just gave up.

A sigh escaped his lips as he walked into the grocery store—for the _third_ time in the past _hour_. Sure, he could understand hunger; he could understand frustration at the lack of food. But why Ryoko decided it was absolutely necessary for him to buy the _same_ small loafs of bread about three times in a row when there were perfectly good, larger loafs of bread available, he would never comprehend. In his mind, he assumed that it was just 'that time of month'—but even he wasn't stupid enough to say it aloud to her.

The redhead walked quickly to the same section where the bread always was. He knew the layout of the store so well he probably could've gotten there blindfolded. He grabbed the same small loaf of bread he had gotten about twenty minutes and he was on his way back to the checkout counter when he heard a ring from his cell phone.

In frustration, he violently flipped open the phone, not even bothering to look at who it was.

"Look, I _just _got the damn bread, okay?" he snapped. "I don't need a reminder every five minutes!"

"Um…what the hell are you talking about?"

Kousuke raised an eyebrow, taking a few seconds to do a double-take, and then just sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you…" he breathed. "Sorry. Thought it was Ryoko again."

"Idiot." Rio's laugh was childish, and sounded almost maniacal over the phone.

"Look, I don't have time to deal with your insults," he shot firmly. "What do you want?"

He didn't hear an immediate response, and he was getting impatient again, but Rio responded just before he was about to hang up.

"I just wanted someone to keep me company for a while…at least until this storm stops…" she pleaded.

Right, the 'scattered thunderstorms.' Kousuke had been so annoyed that he had almost forgotten that it was raining cats and dogs outside, with thunder and lightning to boot. He glanced outside with a sigh, though he couldn't see too much. The only time he could were those brief moments—and it was only for a few seconds—where the entire sky was illuminated by the lightning, followed not too long after by a roar of thunder.

"Come on…don't you usually call Rutherford for that kind of stuff?" he whined. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Rio; but really, she should've gotten over this phobia by now.

"He's busy," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Celebrities always are—you said so yourself."

Kousuke continued to move forward with the line, until it was finally his turn. It was the same cashier that he had paid for the other two loafs of bread he had gotten, and he just handed her the money for the bread in exact change with a glare that said 'don't you _dare_ ask,' and quickly walked through.

"Fine, fine," he surrendered. "I'll be there, but you know if you don't get over this stupid fear of yours soon, someone's _going_ to use it against you."

"Who? You?" Rio asked mockingly. She rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't give me any ideas if I were you," he smirked. He tucked away the bag with the loaf of bread under his jacket and walked outside.

"Try it and I'll kill you," Rio threatened angrily.

"Of course you will." Kousuke laughed at the idle threat as he walked outside.

"Oh, just shut up and get your ass over here!" she demanded. He heard the phone click off and took the phone away from his ear in disbelief.

"Jeez! She's getting even worse than Ryoko!" he yelled, to no one in particular. He just shook his head and sighed. He just couldn't understand why she found thunderstorms so scary; it was childish and stupid, though he supposed that was just part of who she was. She had to grow up sometime though.

On the way to Rio's, he decided to pay a little visit to a certain 'friend.' He didn't want to admit that he needed her help, but he couldn't think of anything else that would have what he needed.

He knocked on the door, and after a few moments of waiting, the door swung open—and it was just who he wanted to see.

"Kousuke! Well _this_ is certainly a pleasant surprise."

The Blade Children hadn't talked to Ayumu since the activity with the Hunters died down, let alone his 'just-a-friend' Hiyono. But this time, he had a reason to talk to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he replied. "Don't get used to it. I just need a favor."

Hiyono raised an eyebrow, looking at him suspiciously. "What could you possibly want from me?" she asked. A roar of thunder could be heard as she folded her arms; Kousuke took a deep breath before replying.

"I need your radio-cassette player," he told her simply.

"My radio-cassette player?" Hiyono repeated. Her stalker device? Her pride and joy? Kousuke better have had a good reason. "What for?"

"None of your business! It's important," Kousuke replied hastily. "If it records, I need it."

"Hmpth." She pulled out the cassette player from her pocket—indeed, it did have recording capabilities. She simply stared at it, holding it at different angles, and she smirked. "Is this what you need?"

Kousuke growled. "Yes—_today_, please," he demanded, holding his hand out. He attempted to grab for it and was about a centimeter away before Hiyono pulled it away.

"_First_…" She smirked evilly. "Tell me what my name is."

Kousuke rolled his eyes. He _had _teased her quite a bit about her name. "Hiyono," he replied.

She gave the cassette player a light kiss before letting it fall in his hands. "I want it back on Monday," she demanded.

"Fine."

"In _flawless_ condition!" she yelled after him as he walked away.

"Whatever!" he yelled. He waved his hands dismissively; the door slammed shut and he slipped the recorder under his coat to avoid it getting wet.

He was determined to break Rio's fear yet, and if his idea worked, her perspective on thunderstorms would be changed in no time. Kousuke knocked on her door after about a ten-minute walk, and Rio answered. He was soaking wet, and Rio had to stifle a laugh at the sight.

"Didn't have an umbrella?" she teased. She opened the door wider, signaling for him to go in.

"Oh, shut up," he snapped. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and set it on the table, and he also pulled out Hiyono's recorder. After making sure it was dry, he pushed the rewind button.

"What're you doing?" she asked. Kousuke didn't own a recorder, and Rio knew it. It made her wonder where he got it, but she wondered even more about what he was going to do with it. He just smirked.

"Just tell me," he told her. "Why are you so afraid of thunderstorms?"

Rio flinched a little as she heard another crash of thunder, but she managed to keep herself from burying herself under blankets and pillows.

"They're loud, obnoxious, and scary," she replied. Fear could be heard in her voice.

"Like this?"

Kousuke pushed the 'play' button on the recorder, and a loud boom of thunder could be heard. He had recorded it on the walk there from Hiyono's. He could tell Rio was a little frightened, but of course, she wasn't as scared of a silly recording.

"Yes!" she replied. "Why the hell did you record that if you knew I was scared of it?"

He laughed a little, pushing another little button on the recorder, and he held it up in her direction. "Well, what if I do this? Is it still scary?"

He pushed the 'play' button again, and this time, a different sound could be heard; high-pitched, fast, and—funny.

Rio began to laugh. "What the hell was that?" she asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Kousuke smirked. His plan was working.

"Thunder," he replied matter-of-factly. "…sped up by a factor of two."

It didn't sound anything like thunder until he had told her what it actually was. He played it again, and upon actually hearing some attributes of thunder, she had to laugh. "That sounds so stupid," she remarked with a grin.

"Well, you know, this is what you're so afraid of," he said. "How about this?"

He pushed another button and pushed play again; this time, the sound was much longer, and ridiculously low-pitch. She laughed again. "Slowed down?" she asked.

Kousuke nodded. "Yup," he replied. "Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

Rio agreed, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

"So then, why are you afraid of it?"

There was silence, as another crash of thunder boomed, strong enough to send the lights flickering. Remembering the sounds from the recording, Rio still smiled. She only flinched a little, but there was hope yet.

"I guess I don't know," she said finally, still smiling. "But I'm certainly never going to hear it the same way again."

Kousuke nodded, deciding he was satisfied with at least that much. Out of nowhere, he heard his cell phone ring and saw the lights shining from the table, indicating a phone call. Rio picked up the cell phone to hand over to him, first looking at the ID caller, and she saw that it was Ryoko.

She just giggled, tossing the device over to Kousuke for him to pick up. "It was nice knowing you," she teased.

He suddenly remembered the loaf of bread—now probably wet—that he was to deliver to her, and upon glancing at the time, he realized it had been an hour since he'd left. He smacked his forehead and looked at the name, staring at it and watching the lights continue to blink.

_Shit_…


	7. Second Star to the Right

**Title: **Second Star to the Right  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #8—our own world  
**Rating:** Teens (PG-13)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral, I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** A perfect world. They could only imagine what it would be like…

_As of March 6th, 2006, a friend of mine named Kanishke Karunaratne committed suicide and passed away at age 16 due to a fatal self-inflicted handgun wound…_

_I didn't know him that well, and as far as I know, he didn't even like anime, but I wanted to do something in his remembrance. This was written with him in mind. May he rest in peace._

* * *

With a click, Rio had flipped her cell phone closed and sighed. Kousuke stared at her intently, waiting for her to speak—to say something, anything.

"She's going to be fine." The words finally found their way out of her mouth and he breathed a sigh of relief, breathing heavily for a few minutes to relax himself.

Ryoko was badly injured in the hospital, thanks to new Hunters. Somehow the Hunters caught her alone and off-guard—which was rare, to say the least, though at night, no one is prepared for much. She was admitted to the Emergency Room at 1am, and not an hour had passed before Kousuke and Rio got into an argument—again.

As soon as she got a room, Eyes had shooed the two of them out of it, saying that they were simply making too much noise, and they decided to go on the roof of the hospital to wait things out.

They couldn't even remember what they were arguing about now.

Kousuke glanced down at his watch and sighed. "Well…so much for sleep," he muttered. He watched his watch blink 3am repeatedly, almost becoming frustrated—though not tired. No, anything but tired.

"Yeah…guess I'll catch up on it at school tomorrow," Rio decided. The redhead got up from the hard bench he was sitting on and stretched.

"I should get going," he told her. The girl raised an eyebrow as he began to walk off.

"You can't seriously be thinking of walking home alone at 3am in the morning when the Hunters just attacked?" she asked disbelievingly—he could be so stupid sometimes.

He flopped back down on the bench in defeat, growling slightly at the fact that she was right. "Have it your way," he replied nonchalantly, though he was completely convinced he was perfectly capable of walking home on his own with no problems.

The two sat in silence with the radio playing lightly in the background, as Rio seemed to be distracted by the shining stars that seemed ubiquitous in the night sky.

"You know what I don't get?"

Rio's voice rang out against the quietness of the room, and Kousuke just glanced over to her. "A lot of things…" he replied with a smirk—and promptly felt something hard hit his face. "Ow! All _right_, geez, what is it?"

"Hmpth," Rio folded her arms and paused a few moments before going on. She walked over to the bench he was sitting on and sat next to him. "Suicide…"

Kousuke blinked, letting the word sink in, and then simply raised an eyebrow at her with a devilish smile. "Riiight," he replied. "And this is coming from Miss Let's-try-to-spoil-Little-Narumi's-plan-by-blowing-myself-up-and-see-what-happens. You are so _random_…"

_Smack!_

He growled, rubbing his cheek—one day, he really would learn to keep his mouth shut.

"Learn to bite your tongue, or I swear I'll do it for you," she threatened. "And I'm not talking about the pleasant little kiss-like nibbles either." She inched closer to his face with a glare, and Kousuke backed up at the same time.

"You're scary sometimes, you know that?" he informed her, his voice raising an octave. "Just creepy…"

Rio smirked, feeling quite satisfied. "Good."

There was silence, and uneasiness came over both of them for a while until Kousuke finally decided to speak again. "So…what _about_ suicide?" he asked, upon remembering their unfinished conversation that she had started.

She scoffed. "People kill themselves for stupid reasons," Rio hissed. "Though I guess if they do it, it's their own fault and it just means there's one less idiot in the world."

He shrugged, seeming completely comfortable about the topic. "It's situational, I guess," Kousuke replied. "Personally, I think the world in general is pretty stupid. No one gets out of this life alive—if you're gonna die anyway, there's no sense in making it happen before it's supposed to."

Rio shrugged. "Well…guess life wouldn't be fun if things were perfect," she mused.

Kousuke managed a dry chuckle. "Maybe that's what they need to realize," he agreed. "It's stupid either way—I mean, any way you look at it, it's just a coward's way out…"

She nodded in agreement and felt a tingle of relief upon noticing that he didn't bring up the Frankenkitty incident again; after all, the circumstances were different. Everything was different—it was like he said. It was all situational.

"If there was a perfect world though, no one would even think about it," she said finally. "Everyone would want to live; even the Blade Children…sometimes I wonder what that would be like…"

"It'd be like a world of our own," he answered. "Everyone has their own vision of a perfect world, and it's their own creation. Not much point in thinking about it though…it's not like such a place exists."

"Can you imagine what ours would be like, though?" Rio had done exactly what Kousuke thought was meaningless; she did it a lot, and she was doing it then, regardless of what he said. "No Hunters after us…no curse…"

Kousuke folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Like I said," he interrupted. "Pointless. You know that's never going to happen, no matter _where_ we are."

"Maybe it _does_ exist," Rio argued. "Maybe it's right under our noses, and we don't even realize it…" She folded her arms to mimic him.

He just laughed, and he got up and slowly walked to the edge of the roof, where a fence had been carefully placed to prevent anyone from falling off; after all, it was a long way down. He lifted his two arms and seemed to motion towards the sky, looking up in both directions, and he coyly turned to her. "Well, would you care to point out where it would be out there? Because it's certainly not on Earth," he reassured her.

Rio just smirked, walking over to him and staring up to the stars. "See those two stars in the clearing there?" She pointed.

He blinked, being overwhelmed for a few seconds by all of the little diamonds shining at him, but then finally followed the direction of her finger to the two solitary stars that she had her eyes on. "What about them?" he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"That second star to the right," she told him. She climbed up onto the railing, holding on tightly, and she smiled. "That's where."

Kousuke just chuckled, immediately picking up on the Peter Pan reference, and he just shook his head. "I think you've been watching too many American cartoons," he told her.

"Maybe you don't watch enough."

She stuck out her tongue, and he just rolled his eyes, deciding not to argue. There was silence, and as the wind sent shivers up and down their spines, Kousuke's eyes then began to linger against his will on that one star that was pointed out.

Rio eagerly looked at her watch and sighed. "We should go back in, shouldn't we? It's almost 3:30. We need to find out who's staying here with her tonight…"

"Mmhmm…"

No movement.

Silence.

"Rio, do me a favor."

"Hm?" She turned to him and felt Kousuke's hand land on her head, and it rested there comfortably as he looked at her. Even in the darkness, she could feel his dark green eyes peering into her soul.

"Don't ever kill yourself…"

* * *

_**A/N:** Short and sweet. Hope you enjoyed._


	8. A Little Vacation

**Title: **A Little Vacation  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #26—if only I could make you mine  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Come on you two…stop fighting like an old married couple!

_Woohoo, number 8! And still many, many ideas to come… _

* * *

A break from life; that's all they needed every once in a while. Just a day or two spent out of their own shoes. And for a while, the Blade Children thought they'd never get it…but of course, being friends with a celebrity like Eyes Rutherford who went on piano-playing tours had its perks sometimes.

"America…wow," chirped a little voice, belonging to one of the slyest member of the Blade Children, Rio Takeuchi. She stuffed another shirt in her suitcase, glancing occasionally at the time and watching as the little hour hand moved closer and closer to 12. It was almost midnight—but she was also almost done. Or so she hoped.

"Hawaii no less," a voice called out. "And leave it to Little Miss Princess to put off packing till the last minute possible…."

"Oh, shut _up_, Kousuke."

Without so much as turning around, the girl instinctively tossed at him the first thing she could get her hands on, sending it across the room and aimed at his face. It turned out to be her Frankenkitty—the new one she had gotten, upon realizing that she had actually been fond of that old thing. When she didn't hear any _smack_ sound, she turned around and found the stuffed animal dangling from his hands.

"Getting better," the redhead smirked. "Maybe one day it'll actually make it to my face."

She growled, her attention having finally been broken from packing. "What are you doing here anyway? If it's to bother me, then you're done. You have your own room, anyway, don't you?"

Kousuke sat down next to her suitcase on her bed, laying back to relax. "Rutherford told me to check on you. Said you might need some company…and help with some last minute packing…"

"Well he was wrong," she interrupted with a hiss.

He looked around at all the clothes splattered on the bed and ground, picking up a pair of her pants and offered it to her to add to her suitcase. "Doesn't look that way to me," he told her. "You going on vacation, or _moving_?"

Rio groaned, snatching the shirt away from him violently; she shoved the darn thing into the suitcase, wrinkling it immensely, though she didn't seem to care. "If you're not going to help, just get out," she told him calmly. She didn't feel like blowing up at him that night.

So he began to help in silence, and for a while, all she heard was the clock ticking.

An hour passed by.

"We're done." Kousuke put the last few bits of clothing into the suitcase closed it up. He gave it a sturdy pat, and then breathed a sigh. He moved the suitcase down to the ground and Rio gave him a look; not an evil one, mind you. Just a blatant stare.

"How about you, then?" The girl jumped up on her bed and sat.

"Me?"

Kousuke pointed to himself, and she nodded. "Are you done packing?" Rio asked.

He rolled his eyes as if it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "Puh-lease," he replied. "I was done two days ago."

She nodded in approval, though slightly annoyed. His arrogance would be the death of him. "Then you should quit bothering me, go back to the room you're using tonight, and go to sleep." They were at Eyes'—he figured it'd be easier than meeting at the airport, or picking everyone up in the morning. That way, they could all just leave together; Kousuke, Rio, Ryoko, and Eyes.

"Tch." Kousuke stood up, walking over to the door. "Whatever."

"Good night to you too!" Rio called after him and heard the door close shut rather hard, though not quite hard enough to be a slam. She just sighed, lying back on her bed as she turned off the little lamp by her bed, and she passed out peacefully…

_Thunk. Thunk. Thunk._

"C'mon, come onnn. Wake up already!"

_THUNK_.

"Ow! What the _hell_, Kousuke?" Rio shot up, finally annoyed with the force of the little—what_ever_ they were—hitting her body.

"It's chocolate, stupid—it doesn't hurt. Now get up! Rutherford wants to leave soon, and he doesn't want to be waiting forever."

Rio groaned, scratching her head. Was it morning already? Damn. She looked casually beside her, and like Kousuke said, Hershey's kisses littered the bed. He had thrown about seven, but she only felt about three of them. "Hershey's kisses," she remarked, perking up a little. "Yum."

Kousuke smirked. Women and their thing with chocolate. "The last one was a York Peppermint patty," he told her. She found all the chocolate that was thrown and put it aside on the nightstand as she finally got out of bed. She shot him a look, and he just laughed.

"Don't look so territorial," he said. "If I gave them to you, I'm not going to take 'em back."

Rio shrugged and picked out an outfit quickly, setting it on her bed as she went through her normal morning routine. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth. She then put her suitcase in the limousine with the others, and after everyone did one final check, the four of them drove to Eyes' private jet, which was practically ready to take off.

Kousuke took a seat next to the window and looked slightly disappointed when Ryoko ended up sitting next to Eyes. She hadn't really meant to either; she simply sat down to ask him a question, but she ended up staying. Rio didn't look too happy about it either. She wanted to sit with Eyes…

She looked to the seat that was next to Kousuke and sighed, hesitantly approaching it. Ryoko had noticed.

"What, you two fighting again?" she asked. "Just sit down."

Rio shook her head. "No, we're not fighting…"

She took the seat; there were plenty of others, but it was a long way to Hawaii, and she wasn't going to sit by herself the whole time. Kousuke noticed her unhappiness and rolled his eyes, sighing. "Here. Look." He pulled down the arm rest that divided their two chairs and pulled it down. "Your space, my space…" He pointed to the seats respectively. "We stay out of each other's hair, and we're happy. Okay?"

Rio shrugged. "Fine." She didn't particularly want to fight or anything, but it seemed that the nature of their relationship was…aggressive. She knew that, so she supposed it made sense.

And they had behaved throughout the whole plane ride. Not one single outburst or any shouted obscenities, and for that long of a plane ride, it was a record for the two. They arrived in Hawaii, after they dropped their stuff off at the hotel, they would be getting an exclusive viewing of the place where Eyes would be holding his first concert of the tour.

"You know, I'm actually interested to see how long they'll last like this," Ryoko said casually to Eyes as she watched Kousuke and Rio converse. They had reserved two rooms at the hotel, and after they admired the front-ocean view that the two rooms would have, they would go with Eyes to the concert location.

Kousuke and Rio turned around simultaneously. "Last like what?" Rio asked.

"Peacefully without going at each other's throats," she replied with a smirk—and Eyes had actually smiled for once.

"Yes, I imagine that would be quite the sight to see," he admitted.

Ryoko nodded. "Considering they always fight like an old married couple," she smirked.

Rio rolled her eyes, ignoring the teasing. "You're exaggerating," she assured her. She didn't always get _that _angry at him…did she?

"Yeah! Besides, we can't be an old married couple. Rio's still a itty bitty baby," Kousuke smirked. He moved his hand to pet Rio's head—and she promptly smacked it away.

"Shut up!"

She froze in position and her eyes widened as she stared disbelievingly at the hand that had probably just given Kousuke another bruise; she blinked in disbelief. Was Ryoko…right?

"What were you saying Rio?" the brunette teased.

She glared. "It's his fault. He always starts it!" she accursed, pointing at him.

"You make it too easy!" Kousuke chuckled. The girl was _so_ easily frustrated, and anyone who wasn't amused by it had to be crazy. Crazi_er_, anyway.

"Well if _you_ weren't so _stupid_…"

"Well if _you_ weren't so _short_…"

Rio glared at him again. He just HAD. To go _there_…

"Ah-ah-ah! Children, corners!"

The two of them turned around to face Ryoko as they walked into one of the hotel rooms they had reserved and put down their luggage. She was pointing to the two opposite sides of the room. They stared at her blankly, then to each other, and with 'hmpth's, they separated.

Rio then looked quizzically to Ryoko from the right side of the room. "Where's Eyes?" she asked, noticing the missing silver-haired musician.

Ryoko looked around. She had just noticed as well; it seemed they had lost a member of their group. "He probably went on ahead," she deduced. "I'll go look for him. You two stay here and behave yourselves. No killing each other."

The two shrugged, and she left the room, closing the door behind her. Tension built up as they stared at each other, and Rio broke the silence with light laughter, getting a weird look from Kousuke.

"What?" he asked.

"She still doesn't know you like her, do you?"

Kousuke looked puzzled, though she knew he was faking it. "Who?" He scratched his head.

"Don't play dumb," she snapped. Rio knew very well that he knew she was talking about Ryoko. He sighed and shook his head as it sunk lower and lower.

"No…"

Silence.

"And I don't suppose Rutherford knows you like him, either?" Kousuke raised his head again. _Even though you've made it _painfully_ obvious? _he added mentally.

"No…"

Another pause followed, and Kousuke just laughed. "And they call _us_ dumb."

Rio half-smiled and shrugged. "Oh well."

The silence between them suddenly became more and more comfortable—and they didn't know why, but being in the presence of one another suddenly began to feel a lot better, too.

"We should really start working together," Rio thought aloud. "They'd be ours in no time…"

An evil smirk tugged on Kousuke's lips as he nodded.

"Definitely."


	9. Deceptive Appearance

**Title: **Deceptive Appearance  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #28—Wada Calcium CD3 (calcium pills)  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary: **Haven't you _always_ been taught to never trust everything you read?

_Kiss #9—enjoy :D_

* * *

There were days when Rio didn't want to get out of bed. At all. And then there were the days when she didn't… want… to _move_.

And that morning, moving was definitely the last thing from her mind. She felt hot, sweaty, uncomfortable, and to put the cherry on top, her throat and stomach decided to rebel against her and draw attention to themselves by hurting. A lot.

Rio didn't get sick often, but she had enough sense to know that this was _definitely_ one of those times; and of course, she wasn't complaining at all about having to miss school, or that big test she had that she never cared to study for. No; in fact, she had every intention to stay home and enjoy the rest and relaxation, while Kousuke, Ryoko, Narumi and the others suffered.

She glanced over to her cell phone, thinking that it probably would've been a good idea to let her friends know that she wouldn't be there—but alas, it was out of her reach. And she didn't want to move any more than she did before.

It didn't matter in the end, though—her cell phone began to ring, and she mumbled a curse word or two as she dashed across the room to answer it.

"Hello?" Her voice was coarse and she could feel a slight tingling in her throat from the strain of talking—all the more reason to stay home. Rio had neglected to peek at the ID caller like she usually did before she answered her calls, and it took her a second that she had no idea who she was going to be talking to. It could've been a telemarketer…a Hunter…

"Where are you? You're going to be late you know. We can't wait for you forever!"

…or just plain old Kousuke. Rio could've recognized the impatience and temperament in that voice anywhere.

"I'm _sick_, you idiot," she informed him coldly. "Not going in today."

Her voice had been particularly soft as well, but Kousuke had gotten the message. "Well, that makes sense—I can barely hear you." He raised an eyebrow, covering his other ear as he walked in hopes of finding a quieter spot. "You gonna be all right?"

Rio waltzed back to her bed and fell comfortably onto it, closing her eyes and making herself even more tired in the process. "Yeah I'll be fine," she assured him. "Just go to class, okay? I'm gonna go back to sleep."

She heard a sigh from the other side of the line. "Fine," Kousuke replied. "Maybe we'll come by and see you after school or something. Just take care of yourself, and don't do anything _stupid_."

Rio scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course not," she mused. "That's your job, remember?"

Kousuke narrowed his eyes. "Oh, haha, _very_ funny," he replied sarcastically. "Don't think that just because you're sick, you get to insult me and get away with it." Just then, the bells at Tsukiomi Academy rang, and Ryoko sighed, tugging on Kousuke's sleeve.

"Come on, Kousuke, we'll get in trouble," she nagged. "Stop arguing with her; do it later."

"And now thanks to you, I'm late," Kousuke glared into the phone, as he was dragged along to class. "Good_bye_, Princess _Brat_."

"Have fun at school, Prince _Loser_."

And on that oh-so-positive note, the two had ended their conversation in haste.

Rio's plan to fall back asleep had quickly fallen to pieces within that next couple hours, since she had been so thoroughly awoken by the phone conversation, and she still wasn't feeling any better like she hoped she would. She made toast for herself (though she only ate two bites of it) and then searched for medicine that might help to cure some of the general symptoms she had, but found nothing. It didn't bother her much though; she could always make Kousuke buy some for her later, and if she couldn't, Ryoko certainly could.

Though Rio had fully looked forward to a day off to rest, she quickly became bored, and she still hadn't been able to fall back asleep. She considered bothering Eyes, but remembered that he was busy preparing for a concert, and she doubted that he would've wanted to be bothered. So she scrapped on the idea and resorted to staring at the clock, getting lost in her own thoughts.

She decided that she would call Kousuke on his way from school to bother him to get medicine, but it still meant that she had a good few hours to kill. That was one of Rio's favorite things about the idea of sleep; it certainly passed the time well, if nothing else.

Inadvertently she had managed to doze off, and her thoughts had most likely manifested themselves into dreams. She didn't wake up again until well after school ended—and she woke up to a pair of dark, mysterious green eyes staring at her in the face, attached to a head of red hair that she knew all too well.

"Kousuke!"

Rio jumped back nearly a mile, yet the redhead approached closer still, finally, he cornered her. His face had moved closer and closer to her and she was just about to push him away when his lips had finally made contact with her forehead. Rio blinked and froze there for a moment, unsure of how to react. Before she even had a chance to ask what the hell he was doing, he had moved away.

"Yep," he said conclusively. "You still have a fever. Good thing I stopped and got some medicine."

A playful smirk had been painted on Kousuke's face as he tossed a small bottle at her that he had pulled out of his coat. She caught it skillfully and stared at it, and her eyes scanning the bottle for what exactly the medicine was.

"Wada Calcium CD—" she began to read aloud. "You idiot, these are calcium pills! What good are these going to do me?"

The redhead was unusually calm and just snickered, watching her glare, and he studied the expression on her face as if to think that he'd never see it again. "Looks can be deceiving, you know," he smirked. "Haven't you always been taught to never trust everything you read?"

Rio narrowed her eyes at him in distrust, and she finally opened the bottle to examine its contents. She had found little white and pink pills inside, and her hands reached in to pull one out. Looking at it from all angles, she studied it closely and finally realized it was your typical, over-the-counter Tylenol pill. They were _all _Tylenol. She looked over to Kousuke to see him pull out a bag from his coat, full of different pills (white this time), and she assumed that those must have been the calcium ones. He set them down on the table near him.

"You took out the pills…and…" Rio blinked, looking confused. "But why?"

"To test you," he replied.

"Test me?"

Kousuke nodded with a sly smile. "Yup."

Rio tilted her head slightly, displaying her façade of innocence that she tricked so many people with. "On what?" she prodded curiously; the look on his face was beginning to unnerve her.

"I wanted to see if you would trust me enough to figure out that what I gave you was the right medicine you needed," he said, somewhat bluntly.

She blinked, feeling like she had just gotten the wind knocked out of her, and she could swear her heart had sunk a few centimeters—no, inches. Speechless, she could only stare at him, and wonder _how_ the bastard had learned to guilt trip her like that. Perhaps he knew too much about her.

"I…guess I failed that one, huh?" Rio whimpered slightly.

He chuckled. "I'd say so."

The silence grew thick, and Kousuke finally stood up and began to walk to the door. "I gotta go," he told her. "I gotta meet Ryoko and she'll skewer me if I'm late…"

Rio nodded. "All right…" She stood up too, seeing him to the door. "I'll…talk to you later then, I guess." A smile was on her face, but you could tell it was a forced one.

He saluted her and winked, and with a "See ya," he left. An odd feeling lingered after him, and Rio stared as he walked farther and farther away from her house. What was the odd sensation that she had felt? She couldn't tell…

Anger? Guilt? Withdrawal?

…jealousy?

Of him and…?

Rio began to giggle at herself as she went to lie down on her couch, perhaps to enjoy another nap—or maybe just to think. It was something she did quite often, and it could've practically been considered her favorite past time.

Jealousy…

_Now_ she was just thinking _too_ much.

* * *

_**A/N:** Yep...I've been gone for a while, haha. A bunch of nasty shit came up within the past month or so…so yeah. Hadn't updated much in a while. I was actually proud of this one, so I hope you enjoyed it. Dedicated to Kayla, my lovely loyal reader who's been going through the same rough stuff that I have. See you around._


	10. Knots

**Title:** Knots  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #13—excessive chain  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Around Kousuke's neck was…well, a necklace…

_The big one-zero. Hehe._

* * *

She'd never noticed it before; not until that day, though he assured her that he always had it.

The necklace, made of rope, that wrapped around Kousuke's neck. It had three knots in it—she had counted them—and when she first saw it, it was perched in his mouth, his lips and teeth clamped firmly over it. His lips were suctioned together, holding it in place, and if it had been a habit to bite on it, he had kept it a secret; and did it well.

"What's that?" Rio asked him finally.

They had followed their normal daily routine; after her last class period, she met Kousuke under the huge cherry blossom tree in front of Tsukiomi Academy. They would walk, each getting an ice cream bar should they happen to see the ice cream man, or if they felt like hiking their way over to the Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop. Sometimes Ryoko would join them, if she wasn't busy.

Not that day, though.

She was out sick, and the two of them agreed to go see her at her house, getting her an ice cream sandwich on the way. Comfort food, they agreed, was always good, but the sandwich was they only thing they had bought. They themselves didn't actually feel like having any ice cream, though they hoped Ryoko would appreciate it.

"Kousuke?" Rio prodded again. This time she finally got a response.

The redhead released the knotted rope necklace from his mouth and turned to her, seeing curiosity in her dark gray eyes. "Hmm?"

"What's that?" she repeated, pointing to the necklace.

Kousuke narrowed his eyes as he grabbed it, holding it up a little as his dark green eyes gazed over her. "This?" the teen asked with a slight tone. "What's it look like? It's a necklace." He let it go, letting it fall back against his chest, though he barely felt it because it was so light.

Rio rolled her eyes. "I knew _that_, smart-ass," she glared. "I was just wondering where it came from. I've never seen you wear it before." She traced the rope with her fingers, feeling the light fuzz against her skin. "Looks like an old shoelace."

"It is," Kousuke confirmed. "I took it out of one of my old shoes that don't fit anymore and made it into a necklace."

She looked perplexed. "Why?" she asked. "And what are the knots for?"

Kousuke finally took off the necklace and handed it to her. "Here. You can see it," he told her. "There are three knots in it." Though the rope was black, you could still see the part of it that had been in his mouth, and the knots.

Rio nodded, looking at it. "I can count," she reminded him. "But what're they for?"

A slight pause.

"People," he answered vaguely as they made the final turn onto Ryoko's street. They sped up slightly, not wanting the ice cream sandwich to melt before they even got there. It wasn't quite summer yet, but it was hot enough.

"People?" Rio repeated, wanting clarification.

"Yeah," Kousuke replied. She could tell he was being hesitant, though she wasn't quite sure why. "People I've lost."

Rio's heart sank a little, though she couldn't help but admire the thing. So simplistic, and though the idea of it was slightly morbid…it was beautiful.

"I see…" she replied, softly. Her lips barely came apart as she spoke; there was an air of awkwardness between them, as she began to realize she wasn't exactly sure what to say, and her mind raced with questions. Should she ask them, though? She scrambled for her next words…something sympathetic? Something funny, to lighten the mood? It was hard to decide, but she had to say _some_thing.

"Three doesn't seem like that big of a number…but, when you put it this way…"

"I know," Kousuke sighed. He didn't want her to feel obliged to show any sympathy, and so he wanted to get past the subject quickly as possible. Of course, it didn't work too terribly well; things between them fell library silent, and though she didn't ask it (probably out of courtesy), he knew she was wondering who the three people were. He hadn't said much about his past, and he knew that this only raised more questions. Finally though, he spoke again.

"I have a feeling this necklace is going to have to get longer, too. By a lot, or else there won't be enough room for all the knots I'll need…"

Rio nodded; she understood well. She handed him back the necklace with a sigh…they could see Ryoko's house now. "Oh, the joys of being a Blade Child," she cooed sarcastically with a forced giggle.

Kousuke rolled his eyes with a smirk. Even though he was a Blade Child, his friends—like little Rio—who shared the same fate somehow made life a little more bearable. Maybe it was just knowing that there were people world who knew how he felt; people like the very girl who was standing right next to him.

"Yeah," he agreed. "And by the way…"

He chuckled this time, and it wasn't forced. She could tell. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously, that curiosity shining in her eyes yet again. "What?"

Shaking his head, Kousuke's chuckle got a little harder, and you could almost call it a laugh. "We walked right past Ryoko's house," he informed her. Rio blinked, looking behind them and began to laugh as well, her head hanging low, probably in slight embarrassment. She hadn't realized it either.

"Let's get back there before you need a_nother_ knot," she said in between chuckles.

Kousuke nodded, and though it was hardly something to joke about, he couldn't help but laugh a little too. "Yeah. That's about the last thing I want to think about right now," he assured her with a snicker.

At that point, he finally put the necklace back around his neck where it belonged. The mood between them had lightened considerably as they began to backtrack their way to Ryoko's house, and for just a second—just _one_ second—they had no worries in the world.

* * *

_**A/N:** And finally, we have number ten. Hehe. My boyfriend Mikee is actually the one who spurned this one, because he has a necklace just like Kousuke's, and I loved the idea of it so much I thought it'd make a lovely story. It turned out pretty well, IMHO. Hope you guys liked it._


	11. The Language of Flowers

**Title: **The Language of Flowers  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #11—gardenia  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary: **Each flower meant something, an idea of its own.

_Eleven._

* * *

A light tapping sound.

Kousuke ignored it at first, pretending he didn't hear it. The same way children—even teenagers—would pretend not to hear their parents whenever they beckoned their names, when they _knew_ it was for something they did wrong. This wasn't quite as easy though. Kousuke was anything but a morning person, and in his world, seven o' clock did not exist unless the sky was blackening and there were stars out to signal nighttime.

The tapping persisted. At this point, he could tell that it was coming from his window. Being on the second story of his house, he knew that it couldn't have been a person making the noise, so he thought that perhaps it was a bird or something. A bird, running into the window on accident. It happened occasionally; it wasn't completely unthinkable.

A bird running into the window repeatedly, however? No—of course not. The statistical probability of it was atrocious, and he was pretty sure…almost positive…that at least _most_ birds had some form of common sense or another.

No; this "bird" was much larger, smarter than that.

And it happened to have two long metallic-gray pigtails, not to mention two large dark orbs for eyes. The lack of wings might've also been important to note; because as adorable, cute, _innocent_ as she might've been, Takeuchi Rio was no angel.

After all, what kind of angel would go around throwing rocks at her friend's windows to wake them up—at seven in the morning?

"Psst! Kousuke! _Kousuke!_"

He ignored her at first. He knew exactly that it was Rio, and her voice was not exactly the best thing to wake up to in the morning. But the more he ignored her, the more she persisted. She was like that, and in all other situations _except_ _that_ one, it was a good thing. The redhead sighed, knowing for a fact now that he would not be able to get back to sleep. And on a Saturday too!

"Don't you have some other, easily-annoyed person who hates the morning to bother?" he growled, in complete annoyance. He rolled over, pulling a blanket over his head, as if it could actually block out the noise. Which it couldn't.

"Of course!" she cooed innocently with a grin a mile wide. And she winked, making her way in through the window. "But you're my favorite."

Kousuke sat up, hearing her giggle, and he sighed. "I'm flattered," he hissed sarcastically. "Really."

"Come on!"

Rio tugged at his sleeve, slowly inching him slowly out of bed, and eventually he gave up. There was just no fighting her when it came to times like this. But he just had to know. "Where in hell's name are you dragging me?" he asked. He then raised his eyebrow, power-walking to his window. "And how did you get in the window?"

"I found it in your garage," Rio said quickly before he could say anything.

Kousuke's eyes first lingered on what he saw outside—a metal ladder, from the ground to the window—and narrowed his eyes at her. "You went through my garage?" he demanded disbelievingly. He growled slightly under his breath. _Great_, he thought—_now I'll have to put it away_. "And you know, you could've knocked, instead of climbing through the window like a freak. What if someone called the cops on you?"

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Rio tugged at him again, ignoring his insecurities. "Let's just go. I want to show you this cool place I found…"

Throwing an over-shirt over his black pajama tank tops, he simply sighed. "Couldn't it have waited?" he asked pleadingly. He didn't really care at that point, but his bitterness still showed, as Rio shook her head with a smile.

"They're prettiest in the morning," she replied. "When you can see the dew on them."

"They?"

"Just come on."

After slipping on his yellow sunglasses, he followed the girl disdainfully, being dragged by the hand the whole way.

They didn't talk, they didn't stop, and they didn't waver; not until they reached their destination point. Looking around, even Kousuke looked surprised at the place he had been lead to. He'd recognized it; but he hadn't been there in ages. It had been under construction for so long that he just ignored it most of the time. But apparently, the construction was all done.

"So this is what they were building," he remarked in amazed approval. "It took them a while."

Rio nodded, seeming satisfied with his reaction and nudged him forward. "Let's go inside."

It was a greenhouse. A large one, with plants and flowers both inside and out; as a whole, it looked like a child had taken crayons and colored the whole place at random; red, random specks of yellow, purple, and green—yes, lots of green. It was a beautiful sight, and while Kousuke appreciated nature's beauty, he was still unsatisfied.

"I still don't see why you had to wake me up at seven to show me this," he muttered, looking around. "It's just a greenhouse."

"Take a look around, Kousuke," Rio remarked. She hadn't called him an idiot—she must've been serious. "This greenhouse is special." She pointed to the tags on all of the flowers, and more specifically to their description under them. But, rather than a description—information, about where the flower grew, how much light it needed, etc, like normal greenhouses—this one provided something else.

Meanings—words, phrases, that represented the flower. It was like the flowers had their own language—each one meant something. An idea of its own. And as Kousuke looked at each one, he realized that none of them were even remotely similar. It was a diverse collection of phrases and words, to match the abundant diversity of flowers.

"Who came up with these?" he asked, intrigued.

The question was received with a shrug. "I'm not sure," Rio admitted. "They were probably collected through a wide range of cultures and countries. A lot of these certainly don't grow in Japan. And the neat thing is, they all mean a little something different to every culture…"

Kousuke was curious now. She could tell.

After reading a couple more of the tags, he simply snickered, yawning. "Pretty interesting stuff. But I think I would've preferred to sleep."

Rio chuckled lightly, walking on ahead of him freely due to the lack of people at that time of morning, and he followed her. She lead her to a group of small flowers at the end of the aisle, and she simply smiled, grinning, "These are my favorite."

When she said that, he was sure that the iris flower would somewhere in the group. But the purple petals were nowhere to be found. In fact, he didn't recognize them at all, except for the rose. He began reading off the names: "The lotus…petunia…lilacs…the baby's breath…the snow drop…and the gardenia." He recited them slowly.

Rio nodded, brushing her finger on the petals of each flower, and even moved in to take in the scent of the gorgeous rose. She could feel the softness the petals against her skin, and against her lips as they briefly touched them.

"Why do you like these particular ones?" Kousuke finally asked.

Rio thought he would never. Truth be told, she had good reasons. "Because," she explained, "look at what they mean." She pointed to the tags of each one. "This is what we_ have_ in our lives…"

Her finger ran past the red rose—_passion, desire_; the lotus blossom—_mystery_; and the petunia—_resentment_.

"And this is what we want…"

Her finger continued to travel, touching the lilacs—_acceptance_; the baby's breath—_happiness_; and snowdrop—_hope_.

"It's a nice depiction of the lives of the Blade Children, completely in the language of flowers." She smiled at him. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Kousuke couldn't help but laugh and nod his head. It almost seemed like she'd been there before, planning out exactly what to show him, how to show it to him and how to explain herself for it. His eyes wandered over to the gardenia, which he hadn't noticed until then that he left out. "What about that one?" he asked, pointing.

He could tell that the question made her uneasy. She began to sweat a little bit, and he knew that she was trying to draw attention away from the fact that she was nervous. But he knew her way too well to fall for it.

"Oh, that one?" she repeated casually. "No real reason."

"Liar."

"Takes one to catch one."

Kousuke froze a moment, thinking on her response, and he simply smirked. "Touché."

She smirked in response. "Aren't you going to look at what it means?" she asked. "It kind of reminds me of you."

And at that, Kousuke looked stunned. "Me?" he repeated. "Why?"

Rio looked away a bit with a snicker. "No reason," she said again.

Kousuke almost believed her. He would've, if he didn't actually read what the tag said. He was surprised, but when he turned his head around to inquire about it, she was already on her way out of the place. He simply growled. "Rio! Wait!" he exclaimed. He became torn, one part of him saying to run after her, and the other saying to stay and contemplate.

Eventually, the internal conflict was quelled. And, taking one last look at the tag, he ran after her before she could get far, thinking about the flower's message all the while.

_I love you in secret._

* * *

_**A/N: **It's been a while, hasn't it? Hee, I thought this was a nice interpretation of this theme. Thanks goes out to the **30 Flowers** community for the meanings of the actual flowers. I hope you guys enjoyed it and stick around till I finish—which I will, eventually. Till next time!_


	12. As the World Falls Down

**Title:** As the World Falls Down  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #21—_violence_; pillage/plunder; extortion  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** In darkness, one may stumble over promises and break them.

* * *

"Rio?"

She could hear his voice, being chanted over the sounds of cars, whizzing by her. She was dizzy, her head hurt, and she honestly had no idea what was going on. She felt wet; sweaty. It was hot, and the moonlight and streetlights burned against her skin. She felt gravel beneath her, scratching at her arms, but her large grey eyes refused to open to see anything.

"Rio, if you can hear me, just say something…"

The voice was fuzzy, and she could almost make it out, but she didn't seem to care enough to even try. Everywhere hurt, and she had no idea why.

"Rio, damn it!"

Her eyelids became less heavy with time; the voice was clearer now. "Kousuke," she mumbled. "…you're loud…" Her gaze was faltering, and vision was cloudy, but she could recognize his red hair any day of the week.

"Well, excuse me for worrying," he responded. She could feel him grab her arm, checking her wrist to see how her pulse rate was. She didn't even have the strength to stop him. "Do you think you'll be all right? How do you feel?"

"Like a million bucks," she mumbled sarcastically, rubbing her head. "What happened?"

Rio managed to roll over so that she faced up, seeing the dark night sky before her. She put her hand back on her head again, only then noticing a splitting headache. No doubt induced by Kousuke's yelling—or at least, it couldn't have helped any.

"Damn Hunters," the red-head grumbled. It sounded like he was in some pain as well, though by what Rio could see, he was in better shape than her. "Ran us off the road on the way back from getting Rutherford, from the airport. And I can't get him to respond…"

She heard a bit of grunting as Kousuke made his way over to the silver-haired musician. They had, of course, been picked up in a limousine, and Eyes laid unconscious, near the chauffer, who seemed to be in no better shape than he was. There was blood oozed on the pavement, though no way to tell who, or how many people, it belonged to. "Eyes?" Rio suddenly perked. Her eyes opened again, if only a little, and she managed to sit up a bit. "Eyes, are you okay?!"

There was silence; no one answered her, and Kousuke checked him for a pulse as well—this time on his neck. "He still has a pulse. Weak one," he reported with a sigh. Of both relief, and at the same time, worry and anticipation.

"Kousuke, we need help…"

He proceeded over to the chauffer, checking his pulse as well. It was a little harder to find, which made him worry for a brief moment. But you could see the worry trickle away from his face when he finally felt the slow beating. "Still ticking," he reported.

"Kousuke, we need help…" Rio repeated. "Why isn't anyone stopping? We need to call somebody."

"Tried," he replied. "My phone's not getting any signal. Yours is dead. Rutherford—well…I suppose we could try and use—"

"Then you should go get help," she told him. "You can still walk, right?"

"What? Well…I think so, but I'm not gonna leave you here by your—"

"Go."

"No!" Kousuke protested. His breathing became heavy now. It seemed he'd been hurt the least from the crash; his head hurt like never before, and he thought he might've felt some blood there; his arms and chest were sore, but his legs were perfectly functioning. He was, however, physically exhausted, and the odd position he was in was beginning to kill his back.

"Kousuke," Rio growled. "Go. Get. Help."

"No."

"Kousuke, you promised," she hissed, tired. "You promised me…"

"Promised you what?" Kousuke demanded.

"You said that you would _always_ do what you needed to do," Rio reminded him, "to help the Blade Children. That we would stick together. Remember?"

There was a bit of a pause, before Kousuke finally replied. "No. I said that I would always do what I _felt_ I had to do," he corrected. "To help the Blade Children survive. And right now, I need to stay here right with you."

Too tired to argue, Rio allowed her eyelids to close again, falling into perpetual night. Her lips pursed together, dry and chapped, and her mouth was dry. She took a finger and ran it over her lips, as if she'd just been kissed; and finally, she sighed.

"Fine," she said calmly. "Then I'll die. Right here."

She could still feel pain; and she could tell she needed medical attention. Even if she didn't, she knew at least Eyes and the chauffer did—and Kousuke should've at least been checked out.

"Fine. I'm going to be right here with you," the red-head mumbled, crawling over to her. "Even as the world is falling apart. I'm _not_ leaving you to die—because no one deserves to die alone." He laid next to her now, and he felt Rio's hand grasp his.

"Are you saying Eyes and the limo driver are already dead?" she mumbled, glancing over to them.

Kousuke stared at them. Neither had moved since he'd become conscious—and certainly not since Rio had come alive. For a moment, he wondered if they really were dead; glass had rained over them from the broken windshield, and had cut them up a great deal, and the trauma from the crash itself could not have been minor…

"No…" he mumbled unsurely.

"Go get help," Rio tried again.

"No."

"You're an idiot."

"I know."

And as they laid there, they could do nothing but listen to each other's breathing…heavy, slow. Kousuke mentally counted the number of cars that had driven by, but didn't open his eyes at all to see if any of them had even slowed down to see the totaled limousine, or the people in need.

Rio had begun to slip into a deep sleep, no longer being able to maintain consciousness. In the distance, she could hear sirens of an ambulance approaching. The lights burned her eyelids, as she could feel them flashing, and she knew they must've been closer than she'd thought. Her eyes opened slightly to see someone hover above her—a medic—and she could feel herself being moved. She convinced herself it didn't hurt, but a part of her knew it hurt like a bitch.

She wondered if Eyes was going to be okay. The driver.

If Kousuke had finally gone to get help, and she'd just missed it.

Who called the ambulance.

And as the world seemed to fall down, she wondered if it would get up again and be all right.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ So, this was inspired by "As the World Falls Down," a song by David Bowie from the movie The Labyrinth. It's an awesome movie, and you should all see it. Right now. Yes._

_(ahem) Anyway, sorry this took so long. Yeah, I kind of took an involuntary break from writing for a bit. Hopefully it won't take me months to get to the next one. Thanks so much for reading and hope you haven't given up on me yet:P_


	13. Half Empty

**Title:** Half Empty  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #27—overflow  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Eyes, they decided, received way too much fan mail.

* * *

Rio hummed softly to herself as she shuffled through the mess that was Eyes' desk. She'd never paid much of a mind to organizing things for herself, but somehow it was a cinch to do it for someone else.

She was alone.

Two boxes were laid out, as well as the trash can which she had dragged over. She tossed various things into each: one box was to contain fanmail; the trash can, of course, was for any unwanted papers, and the last box was for anything else which she wasn't quite sure of. The box of fan mail was, as expected, overflowing.

She had to wonder whether he even looked at any of them at all. It certainly didn't seem so; they were bound to be boring after a while, she supposed. She probably wouldn't have bothered either, in his position. They were mostly all the same anyways.

"And what're you up to, Franken-kitten?"

The voice made her jump slightly, jerking her hands and she only watched as the papers she was holding flew out of her hands and onto the ground.

"_Kousuke! _Don't _do_ that...you'll give someone a heart attack!"

The redhead chuckled devilishly, approaching Rio and picking up the papers on the ground as she recovered from the shock. "What happened to being on guard? If I were a hunter, you could be dead by now. Or captured."

"Yeah, lucky me it was only annoying old you."

Kousuke held out the papers in offering, and she snatched them, seeming thoroughly annoyed. He rolled his eyes.

"Ah come on, don't give me attitude." He folded his arms. "I picked them up for you, didn't I? And you still haven't answered me."

Rio was acting particularly childish, he knew, but it shouldn't have surprised him. She was like that every once and a while. One of her many quirks, and it really didn't bother him as much as it used to. He'd grown quite accustomed to it. Really, he thought the name "franken-kitten" suited her quite well.

"If you must know," she replied at last, "I'm doing a bit of organizing for Eyes, for when he comes back from tour. Figured it might be a nice surprise."

He nodded in understanding, grabbing some of the papers off his desk himself and lended a hand. Glancing into the first box, he saw some of the envelopes inside littered with 'xoxo,' 'hugs and kisses!' All were addressed to Eyes.

"So we have the fan mail box," the redhead deduced, dropping a letter among the massive pile, "the trash, and...everything else."

Taking a peek inside of box number two, he noticed sheet music, lyrics, music books, and various letters that, being from his agents and other higher-ups, were deemed much more important than your every-day fan mail.

"Pretty much."

They continued sorting and managed to work through the top of his desk, and proceeded to open the drawers, which also contained many papers and books which needed organizing.

"Might want to get another box for the fan mail," he suggested. "It's getting pretty full."

Rio looked at the box with a sigh, shaking her head. "Yeah I know," she groaned. Honestly, she hadn't even a clue if there were even any more boxes to be found. "He gets way too much. We should just move."

More and more trash and fan mail piled up.

"Couldn't agree with you more," Kousuke replied in a laugh. "If only all of our problems were solved that simply."

And the gray-haired little kitten smiled. For a moment, she seemed as innocent and as simple as her idea. "Well, it's possible, if you believe in Ockham's razor," she reminded him. "But trouble seems to follow us no matter what we do. Even when we're just cleaning." With a sigh, she stretched. "I'm going to go find another box."

Kousuke nodded and watched her disappear into another room.

Moments later, she returned a box she managed to round up from Eyes' closet—and two glasses of water. "Found a box," she grinned victoriously, putting it next to Fan Mail Box #1. "And got us drinks in case we needed it."

He looked surprised at Rio's thoughtfulness, but nevertheless, Kousuke accepted it. His throat was running dry. "Thanks," he replied, and he took a sip. "S'only half full, though..."

His words trailed, in a murmur, but Rio had picked them up quite clearly.

"Or half empty, depending on how you look at it," she replied, ignoring his ungratefulness.

"You always were a pessimist."

Rio chuckled, not surprised at his immediate inference of the double meaning. "Oh, please," she murmured. "I wasn't referring to life in the slightest. I was simply stating the truth. The glass can just as much be considered half-empty as half-full."

A smirk formed on Kousuke's lips as he shook his head. He was simply stating the truth too: they were all pessimists. But there was no real use arguing the point. Instead, he took his glass to his lips, began to drink and eventually gulped the whole thing down.

"There," he breathed proudly, setting the glass down on Eyes' clear desk. "Now it's just _empty_."

Rio laughed, nodding in agreement. "Indeed it is. Now do that with Eyes' fan mail and I _might _be impressed."

The redhead gawked at the two piles of fan mail forming in the two boxes and shook his head in defeat.

"I think I'd have a better chance surviving another Hunter attack."

She decided he was probably right.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Another one bites the dust. At last, the elusive number 13! Sure has been a while. Gotta love that nasty writer's block._

_Anyway, Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed it. I might finish these two yet..._


	14. Under the Weather

**Title: **Under the Weather  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fand****om:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #18—say "ahh..."  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Kousuke was not feeling well.

* * *

"You know, I thought _you_ were supposed to be the one taking care of _me._"

Rio smiled maliciously as tossed Kousuke the bottle of cold medicine she'd just picked up from the store. He coughed up a storm, muttering a rather ungrateful-sounding 'thank you' for the pills, and took a couple from the bottle. A glass of water sat beside him on the little coffee table, and he took it in his hands and drank some, tossing the pills down afterwards. His mouth opened in an 'ahh...' like motion, as to keep the water from spilling out over his favorite green jacket.

"So, what is it?" Rio asked teasingly, putting a hand on his forehead. "The flu? Pneumonia? The kissing disease, mono? Oh, but _Ryoko's_ not sick..."

"It's _just a cold_," the redhead replied grudgingly. "It's not like I'm dying. Sheesh."

"Just teasing, just teasing," the grey-haired girl explained, holding her hands up in surrender. "No need to get all _defensive_. Save that for the hunters."

Kousuke only smirked. "It's been a while since we've heard from our dear friends," he murmured, highlighting the sarcasm.

"Ah, so you noticed too, hm? I wonder if they're planning something..."

"Anything's possible."

"Expect the unexpected, as the cliché goes," Rio murmured. "With Eyes out of the country, Ryoko busy, and you sick, they just may take advantage..."

"Yeah, I suppose they might."

She eyed him curiously with her mysterious cat-like eyes. "Well, aren't you worried?"

Kousuke shrugged. In truth, he supposed he should be concerned, feeling under the weather as he was. But again, in truth, he felt nothing of the sort. He was rarely sick, and the illness would not set him back for long. That he knew. No, he would never let something like that hold him down...

"If they're going to attack," he reasoned, "they'll do it whether I worry about it or not, so there's not much point is there?"

"I guess..." Rio murmured unsurely. She thought a few moments, and, her face brightening a little, she added: "And besides, you always have me to protect you!"

He laughed; that's when Rio began to notice the sweat running down his face. It was normal she supposed, for his sickly state. She didn't let it plague her mind.

"Yes, that makes me feel _loads_ better," Kousuke burst sarcastically.

"You won't be laughing when I save your ass!" Rio folded her arms, laughing empathetically.

He grinned, knowing full well that the girl was tougher than she looked. And she knew how to use that little fact to her advantage. But it was just too fun to tease her about it.

"Kousuke, are you okay? You don't look so good..."

The redhead's face began to go pale, still with the stupid grin on his face. It disappeared quickly however, and he began to breathe heavily, coughing every once and a while. He continued to sweat, and Rio touched his forehead only to find that it was burning.

"What are you talking about," Kousuke spat hurriedly. "I'm fine—just sick—"

A look of complete fear over came Rio as she watched him progressively get worse. She didn't know what was happening; why he was coughing up blood. But she didn't like it at all. He...he was dying.

"What's going on?" she asked of no one in particular. She was afraid to even touch him now, she felt as if she had done something wrong.

"Rio—" His hand moved towards the bottle, the bottle of pills. "Who—who gave you these—"

"I...I don't know! The person at the store," she replied vaguely. "The pharmacist. No one we knew..."

She suddenly realized it. What he was implying...no, no of course the pharmacist had been no one they knew. But it became more and more evident that the pharmacist certainly _knew them_. She knew exactly what she was doing when she gave Rio the pills—the ones she knew were going to Kousuke. The smile on her face—'Have a nice day,' she had said. Her disguise worked. And now Rio was scared. Angry at herself, of course, that she hadn't been able to spot the Hunter's disguise; but more scared.

And Kousuke's words before he had fainted frightened her most of all.

"Not—medicine—"

He collapsed to the floor, as Rio grabbed for the phone and called for an ambulance.

He didn't move.

* * *

_**A/N:** Well there you have it... almost half way! I'm most likely going to continue this. Until then, enjoy the cliffy. Wahahaaa. (runs away)_

_PS: Is anyone else having trouble logging onto Ff-net with the 503 error (or has had the problem before)...?_


	15. Running Away

**Title:** Running Away  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme:** #17—kHz  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Rio tries to run from her problems. Kousuke tells her she's going the wrong way...

* * *

I could only watch as the paramedics handled Kousuke. I didn't want to touch him for fear I'd break him into a million pieces, I didn't want to talk to anybody. I was scared, afraid of my own shadow. My heart pounded so fast, the beats should have been measured in kilohertz.

I didn't trust myself.

I had done damage to someone important to me, and I refused to do anymore. No, Takeuchi Rio would not be doing the hunters' dirty work, thank you very much. Kousuke was going to make it this time. I would have to make sure of that. I couldn't let him die this way. Poisoned pills disguised as medicine, from a Hunter disguised as a pharmacist...no, they would have to do better.

I had gotten him into this mess, and I would get him out of it.

...but how? I found myself asking.

I pondered as I rode on the ambulance with him. I was no detective. I was not Kiyotaka, or Ayumu. Nor was I a doctor. I couldn't do anything actively to help; but I couldn't stand doing nothing.

What about the Hunter? I had her face etched in my mind permanently. I could go track her down. Go on the attack, instead of defending, which the Blade Children always seemed to be doing. But no, I couldn't. I couldn't leave Kousuke there by himself. Alone, with the doctors. Alone, in the lonely hospital, with no one to talk to, no one he could trust.

I decided to stay, waiting patiently for the okay to visit him.

And what of trust, anyway? Could we even trust the doctors? What if they were in disguise here too? What if they killed him, or took him somewhere, like they had done with Hiyono and I?

We had no choice in this case. We had to be trusting.

I sighed, flipping through a boring magazine that I had looked through no less than twenty times, trying to keep my mind clear. I'd occasionally glance at my watch. I watched others who were also waiting on their loved ones. What did people usually do in this kind of situation? Pray?

I supposed it wouldn't have hurt. But there was no one I could really pray to. I didn't bother.

I managed to kill another half-hour before the doctor came out and told me I could see my friend. He would survive, he said, and I had nothing to worry about. He would be fine, and I could see him. I was relieved.

"I'm, er, going to grab a drink real quick before seeing him," I told him.

The doctor gave me an odd look, but nodded, giving me Kousuke's room number that they had recently moved him to. I walked away from him and didn't look back. I was tempted to break into a run. To leave, and somehow make it so all of it had never happened.

The truth was, I didn't know how to face him. He was unpredictable. There was no way to tell if he would be mad at me for giving him the poisoned pills, or if he'd give me a kiss, thanking me for calling the ambulance and saving his life. Kousuke worked in extremes. There was no mildness about him, which made him hard to deal with sometimes.

I didn't lie to the doctor. I actually was thirsty, and in fact, I did track down a vending machine and bought myself melon juice. I saw the exit, and it called to me. _Walk through the door and go. Walk through the door, and don't look back. Run away from your problems, and they'll disappear. _And for the moment, I was subconsciously obeying...

"Sir—please, you really must get back to your room—"

"Let go!"

"Please, sir, you need to rest—"

"Rio!"

My eyes widened, and I turned around, frightened. I heard the sound. It was Kousuke, restrained by nurses, and he was angry. At me, I assumed. He'd caught me.

"Where the hell—" he struggled for a moment, trying to catch his breath. "—did you think you were going? I _know_ you weren't about to leave me here to die."

"Kousuke..."

"I'm listening."

I stared and gave a sigh. Opening my mouth, I sputtered incoherently, knowing that there no excuse sufficient enough to give him. After a slight pause, I gathered my words. "I was scared," I spat out at last. "I was scared I'd killed you and I didn't know what to do..."

He smirked cockily; a smirk that gradually softened into a smile. He wrapped his arms around me to comfort me and I could see his green eyes sparkle. "Rio, you really are just a little kid inside, aren't you?" he muttered admiringly. "Like a little kid who's forgotten to clean her room or finish her chores, and is afraid of the punishment..."

I stayed silent, feeling my head grow heavier and tilt downwards as I stared at my feet.

"Look, I'm not your father or anything, so stop being so scared," he continued warningly. "This wasn't your fault. You didn't know; you practically saved my life! And the _next_ time you decide to run away..."

He motioned me to come closer, but he looked so threatening that I hesitated. In the end, he tugged me by the sleeve and pulled in so close I could feel his breathing in my ear. He was speaking in a hoarse whisper.

"...take me with you. I hate hospitals, you know that!"

I grinned slightly, giving him a pat on his shoulder to express my sympathy. What fear I had felt before was beginning to lift, and, knowing he would be okay, I began to forgive myself. I smiled and the urge to run away had faded.

"Well. I suppose we'll have to get you out of—"

I stopped abruptly as Kousuke nudged me; a harsh, forceful nudge.. My mouth ceased it's movement, and I suddenly saw that we were under the careful watch of Kousuke's nurse. She watched somewhat attentively, but she seemed shy—and did not seem eager to interrupt.

"On second thought, why don't we continue this conversation in private?" I suggested slyly.

"Good idea. My room?" Kousuke pointed in a direction.

"Got your own room, hm?"

"Well, yeah. Generally they grant us patients_ that_ much if we're staying over night."

"Fancy."

He began to walk, and I was right beside him. Taking the elevator, we went to the second floor, and he led us to room 205, on which his name was printed on the tag. We walked in and shut the door behind us, sending the nurse away, and suddenly Kousuke's expression became serious.

"I'm tired of running away and I'm tired of waiting," he said. "If that girl you say really was a Hunter, then let's do something about it."

I stared. "You mean...go on the attack? But how? You're still weak, and they're not going to let you out of here easily."

"I don't need to get out. Not yet, anyway. Let's start," Kousuke began, pulling out a sheet of paper and pencil, "with what that girl looked like. The doctors'll be back here soon with my tox-screen. If those pills were poisoned, we'll know what it was, and if we find out who she is, we'll know if she had access to it."

"What about the others who work at the pharmacy?" I asked. "It's not likely she was the only one who had access. There's the chance that they just used her as a middle-man—basically to set her up to distract us."

Not that I had any qualms about killing anyone—but it generally helps if I have a reason.

"That's true, but we don't want to over-think this. Remember, they're trying to guess our moves too, and we don't want to play into their hands if they're already one step ahead. We want to stay unpredictable, and I don't think they'll expect us to attack. Especially not with me in the hospital."

"Should I call Eyes?" I pulled out my cell phone and held it out. To be honest, I thought of little Narumi before I thought of Eyes. But I would never let Kousuke know that. "I mean, we might need some help..."

"I don't think there's any reason to worry the others. You and I make enough of a team for them, don't you think?"

I nodded. Indeed, we made quite a team. I'd almost forgotten that. But trying something like this while Kousuke was still vulnerable—I wondered if that in itself was a greater risk than even the Hunters themselves.

But he seemed determined. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen him so enthusiastic about something, and even if his motives were not in the right place—even if he seemed blood-thirsty and was starving for revenge—I didn't have the heart to stop him.

* * *

_**A/N:** Finally! Got the 2nd part of that whole ordeal out. I actually have had this done for a few days now, but I just hadn't uploaded it to ff-net. :) Sorry 'bout that. Anyways, thanks for reading!_


	16. Evil in Her Eyes

**Title:** Evil in Her Eyes  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme**: #24—good night  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was the last place he wanted to be.

* * *

He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was the last place he wanted to be. Kousuke was running through what seemed like dense forest; the ground was covered in sticks and leaves, waiting for him to trip and fall. It was also mushy, making it hard for him to keep up his speed. Even Ryoko would have troubles in this condition, he imagined.

But what was he running from?

He had awoken, his senses diminished in his sleepish, amnesiatic state. All he knew was that he needed to run. He had been running and he needed to run some more; but he couldn't remember anything, and it was as if he'd been placed in a body not his own.

There was no time to dwell on such things, however. He was being chased.

Whoever it was was catching up rapidly; Kousuke could hear it in the running footsteps. He toyed around with the idea that it might be Ryoko, playing a practical joke to fool with his mind. But he recognized Ryoko's running, and the steps weren't hers. They were, however, familiar. It was no stranger. Realizing this made him a little less worried to look back.

A pair of bright glowing eyes stared at him out of the darkness of the trees. They matched the color of the full moon, and were drawing rapidly towards him as the figure approached. She was fast, and though small, she proved threatening. Her moves were elegant, seemingly flawless and so precise that one would think they were rehearsed.

"Rio?" Kousuke finally pinpointed the identity of the figure, and as he said her name, the shadows that concealed her seemed to subside. He could make out some of the finer details in her face; the curve of her lips, in the shape of a smirk that she had inevitably learned from him, and also the evil that resonated in her eyes.

She was silent.

He wondered now more than ever why he was running, but something told him not to stop. He could see glimpse of silver in her hands that shined in the moonlight—a blade, small and dangerous, much like herself. She seemed possessed, like a puppet on strings.

He managed to stay ahead of her. His long legs gave him an advantage, but he wouldn't be able to run forever, and the darkness certainly did not help.

_Why_ _is she chasing me with that blade? Did I piss her off again? Jeez! Women…agh!_

Just as Kousuke's pace began to slow, his feet dragged lower and lower to the ground and he stumbled on an otherwise innocent tree branch. Rio pounced now, taking the upper hand as Kousuke's lips met with the ground. She sat on him as he struggled, and though it would normally not take much effort to brush Rio off, his fatigue from running began to set in. He struggled with as much force and energy he could muster, running practically on empty. He could see her shadow in front of him, lifting the dagger high into the air. And though she had been silent until then, she said three final, ominous words before she struck.

"Good night, Kousuke…"

Suddenly, all the while bracing himself for the pain, Kousuke heard a loud crash that reminded him of thunder, followed by frantic knocking. He ignored the knocking at first. His mind seemed to block it out, but it got louder and louder until it was the only thing he could hear. His eyes sprung open.

He sighed, rubbing his head a little and feeling slightly disoriented as he stood up and attempted to walk towards the attention-seeking door. The dream that had seemed so real temporarily slipped his mind as he greeted his visitor Rio. She was originally staying in the room down the hall, alone; but with the thunderstorm he heard going on outside, he was not surprised she made her way here.

"Erm…Eyes didn't answer his door. C-could I…?"

"Yeah. Come on in."

She smiled, seeming relieved as she made her way inside. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't sleep, all alone…" she murmured. "This horrid weather…"

"It's okay, no need to explain," Kousuke saved her the energy. "You know what to do."

It hadn't exactly been the first time she had taken refuge in his room during a thunderstorm. Normally, she chose Eyes's room, but in times when he was away or would not wake up to answer the door, she would rest in Kousuke's room. And like every other time, she slept on the couch, saying the same thing she always did:

"You know, a real gentleman would let the lady sleep on the bed."

And Kousuke replied sarcastically, smirk painted on his face: "What lady?"

Rio grumbled, but respected the fact that she was in his room, his territory. She tossed a blanket over herself, sighing, and looked at him, relaxed on his bed. "Good night, Kousuke."

And with those words, memory of the dream that had briefly been suppressed once again resurfaced. Kousuke's eyes widened, as he remembered the way she said the words. The way she held the dagger 

up in the moonlight, and the yellow glow in her eyes, showing no regret for what she was about to do. He shivered a bit at the thought, wondering why he would ever have such a dream. He wondered if it was a premonition, but looking at her, he could never picture her the way she appeared in his dream.

Her eyes, grey and innocent. Her hands, smooth and beautiful, as if she'd never done a thing wrong. The way she whimpered at any sound of thunder, and flinched at any flash of lightning. No, there was almost no resemblance at all, he decided, between the two pictures he had of Rio in his head at that moment.

"Is something wrong?" Rio asked, as Kousuke continued to stare.

And suddenly, he shook his head, and all sign of fear was lost. "Yes, I'm fine. Good night." He nodded in reply and, eager to get some real sleep, pulled a blanket over himself and switched off the lamp near his bed. The nightlight placed in the outlet near the couch would be good enough for her, he figured.

"Oh, Rio?" His voice chimed up once more.

"Yeah?"

"Stay away from the kitchen knives."

* * *

_**A/N:**__ So, this was just kind of a random idea that came to me after remembering the creepy yellow glow in Rio's eyes after she killed Imazato-sensei in the anime. I found it very memorable and I still have a clear picture of that very shot in my head, even after years of not having seen it._

_Anyway, it was random and pointless, but I hope you enjoyed. Half way mark. Cheers!_


	17. Best Laid Plans

**Title:** Best Laid Plans  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme**: #3—jolt!  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Kousuke, do you trust me?

* * *

It was an innocent day at Tsukiomi Academy. The sun shone as usual, and the sky was bright blue with barely a cloud in it. The bell had rung and students began leaving the school in droves. Some walked; some headed for a bus, and others headed for the metro. There were still whispers and rumors among them about Imazato-sensei's murder that had taken place a few days before. It was beginning to fade from conversation, though—which was just the way Rio liked it.

But they knew. Kousuke and Rio both knew little Narumi hadn't forgotten. He and his new best friend, the annoying reporter girl, were actively tracking down the person responsible—and they would succeed in time, if they didn't act quickly. The two of them sat innocently atop the monkey bars, contemplating their next move. What would they do, once little Narumi had figured it out? Once he knew that it was little Rio who so coldly took the teacher's life?

They had to be prepared, but thus far, they had only managed to sit in silence, staring at the sun which was sinking lower and lower in the sky. They sat, occasionally observing the people who passed them by, without them so much as noticing: one of Rio's favorite aspects about being up high where no one readily saw you.

"You covered your tracks pretty well," Kousuke remarked suddenly to break the silence. "Maybe he won't figure it out. The kid may be sharp, but he's no Kiyotaka."

"Don't be stupid," Rio replied in a caustic voice. "The last thing we want to do is underestimate him. Especially when he has such a powerful ally."

"What, that annoying reporter?"

"The annoying reporter with access to very valuable information," Rio added. "Yes. She's going to be very helpful to him."

"Want to shut her up, then?" the redhead suggested with a slight shrug.

"Too obvious—he's probably expecting it. And too soon after killing Imazato."

"Well then what do you propose we do?"

Rio yawned in response; there wasn't a trace of worry or doubt on her face. It was a deceiving innocent look that Kousuke had seen before, and though he believed in her more than he believed in most things, he still couldn't help worry that something was going to go wrong. Rio ruffled his red hair just then, grinning childishly. "Don't worry about it," she assured him. "I'll take care of everything."

"You've got a plan?"

"Kousuke, do you trust me?"

Rio's eyes—normally big and innocent—became suddenly focused and narrow. The innocence was gone. She was being serious, which made Kousuke flinch a little. She didn't answer his question, and he stared at her, wondering what was going on in that head of hers. "What?" he blurted, surprised.

"Do you trust me?" she repeated firmly.

Kousuke blinked, still not quite sure of how to answer. Trust was such a fleeting thing, and he wondered if he ever really trusted anyone in his entire life. It was hard to earn and easy to break—and when it broke, it shattered like glass, almost impossible to repair. He let out a sigh.

"Kousuke, answer! Do you--"

"Yes!"

Rio's head jerked back a bit, the innocence in her eyes returning. The suddenness and frustration in Kousuke's voice very swiftly threw her back into a position of subordination, sending a light jolt up her spine. Seeing her reaction, Kousuke let out a deep breath.

"I mean...yes, I do trust you."

There was uncertainty in his voice, though he hid it well. Rio quickly detected it and pounced on it like a wildcat.

"Are you sure?"

At this point, Kousuke was simply telling her what she wanted to hear. "Yes..."

Rio was serious again. "Because for this plan to work," she said, watching him critically, "you _have_ to trust me. You can't interfere. You have to let me take the stage...and trust that I know what I'm doing. Can you do that, Kousuke? Can you take the backseat for me?"

He breathed deeply, thinking about Rio's words. The way she said them, he could tell this had been brewing in her mind for quite some time. Even if he wasn't the nicest person in the world, Kousuke couldn't find it in himself to be able to disappoint her. To say what he wanted to; that he wasn't a "backseat" kind of guy, and not one to trust anyone easily. But he swallowed those words best he could, and formed new ones.

"I'll consider it, if you tell me what the plan is," he replied.

Rio sighed. She thought he might say something along those lines, and in truth, it was a plan that would work best if Kousuke had limited knowledge of it. But, in exchange for his cooperation, she was willing to give it up. Suddenly she grinned, rummaging through her backpack rather excitedly, pulling out a small orange stuffed cat: a familiar, admittedly adorable face that Kousuke had seen before.

"Franken-kitty?" Kousuke asked, unsure of how the doll fit into her scheme.

"Oh yes," Rio replied, nodding firmly. She kissed the stuffed animal on the head. "Franken-kitty is very loyal. He'll get us closer to little Narumi—and at the same time, lead him off our trail for good."

"Oh yeah? How will he do that?" Kousuke snatched it from out of her hands and began to observe it. Rio began to fuss, but he easily kept her at bay while he conducted his examination. It felt heavy, for a stuffed animal, which made him suspicious. Turning it over on its stomach, he could see why—most of its innards had been taken out, replaced with—

"A bomb?!" He panicked before realizing that it was still inactive, and dropped the stuffed animal like a hot potato. A little piece of paper could be seen, attached to his neck, reading 'Please take me to the newspaper office.' Rio sighed, picking up the franken-kitty and affectionately brushing off the dirt in its fur.

"It's a work in progress," she explained. "And remember...you promised you wouldn't interfere."

"I said I'd _consider_ it," Kousuke corrected her. "What the heck are you thinking?"

And at this, she only smirked. "Something that they would never expect."

"Yeah, I got that much. Specifics?" Kousuke's impatient nature began to show.

"Well...their only clue to figuring me out right now would probably be my missing rib, right? They know that a blade child is behind the murder, and they could easily check for that."

"So?"

"So? What if I have _more_ than just one missing rib? How would they check then?" Rio smiled and looked innocently at the franken-kitty, exposing the bomb in progress and allowing Kousuke to see it once more. She stared at him intently, wondering if he was beginning to piece together what she was planning. His initial confused expression told her that he hadn't, but suddenly, his forest-green eyes widened through those yellow-tinted glasses of his. Something had clicked. He folded his arms.

"No." He said firmly.

"But—"

"No."

"The blast wouldn't be strong enough to _kill_ me!"

"You don't know that! Rio, this is insane!"

"It's the only way!"

"Rutherford would never let me hear the end of it if I let you go through with this."

"He'll understand! Kousuke, please, just trust me. You promised!"

The redhead sighed, shaking his head. "No, I didn't," he corrected her a second time. "And I don't approve. Period, end of discussion."

"You can't stop me," Rio murmured threateningly.

He stopped and turned around slowly, his lips curling into a smirk. She had a point, and for the first time, Kousuke really felt kind of powerless. Rio had taken charge—how had he managed to let that happen? He sighed, feeling defeated as he blurted: "Do what you want. But you know little Narumi will just find another way. What'll you do when he sees through your little plan and calls you out?"

A devilish smile came to Rio's face as she clapped her hands together in excitement. He could tell she was having fun with this. Planning the plan, testing little Narumi, evading capture, thinking up insane strategies that had 'bad idea' written all over them; it was all a game. The outcome of a game, however, was not necessarily going to favor them; and their plans, no matter how well thought out, could still go awry.

These risks did not seem to phase the silver-haired devil, though. She simply smiled with a confidence so bright that Kousuke couldn't bear to interrupt her when she spoke.

"Why Kousuke, I'm so glad you asked..."

* * *

_**A/N:** Wow. You know, I finished this eons ago, yet for some reason it never made it to ffnet. Huh. ...Oh well._

_Anyways, if you hadn't figured it out already, this was my rendition of what happens in the earlier episodes of the show--before Ayumu and Hiyono figure out that Rio's a blade child, and she's trying to play games with him. I hope you guys enjoyed it, even if it wasn't really new plot._

_Ciao! Til next time, whenever that may be..._


	18. Ticket to Ride

**Title:** Ticket to Ride  
**Author:** Amm (SoulSeeker)  
**Pairing:** Asazuki Kousuke/Takeuchi Rio  
**Fandom:** Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna  
**Theme**: #12—in a good mood  
**Rating:** For Everyone (PG)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters of Spiral. I am just playing 'Barbie' with them, cause god knows they're a lot more fun than real Barbies.  
**Summary:** Rio, you're practically glowing.

* * *

It was a particularly sunny morning in Osaka, Kousuke noticed; and even though it was a Monday, the students at Tsukiomi Academy seemed to be in a good mood. It was strange. Quite strange, but he decided not to question it. Inevitably, he was all smiles as well. It was contagious, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say happiness was a disease.

If it was a disease, then Rio had it the worst. He could already see her smiling, skipping down the street; practically dancing to the music in her own head. He looked at her perplexed, as if she were a stranger, but nonetheless did not treat her as such.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Sunshine," he remarked with a sarcastic grin as she approached, arms folded. "You're practically glowing."

She stuck her tongue out in a childish manner, but was otherwise unfazed by the comment. "It's _called_ smiling," she replied. "You ought to try it sometime, you know."

"Give me a good reason for it, and you'd be surprised what I'd do." Kousuke pushed up his glasses slightly, attempting to look sophisticated as he and Rio walked into the school together. He gave a light shrug of his shoulders as his eyes wandered the hallways, glancing into the classroom windows that passed.

"Why need a reason?" Rio asked. "If people want to smile, they should be able to smile. There's no law against it."

"Yeah, but you _do_ have a reason, don't you?" the redhead asked with suspicion. And it seemed suspicion was another contagious virus.

"And how would you know that?" Rio posed the question defensively.

Kousuke just smiled devilishly, responding without missing a beat. "Because I know you. You don't surprise me anymore."

"Don't I, though?" she said mysteriously, in a way that sent an army of shivers up his spine. But he drew as little attention to it as possible, hoping in the back of his mind that she didn't notice it.

"Come on, spill it," Kousuke said seriously, turning to her. "What's the deal?"

"With?" Rio smugly grinned.

"Oh, don't play dumb. You know you suck at it."

Her large grey eyes widened just then, as her mouth pried open slightly, resulting in a vague, surprised expression that Kousuke rarely saw. "Why, I'll take that as a compliment," she told him giddily. "Thank you!"

She sped up as they approached their first class, trying to leave him in her dust, but her short stride was no match for Kousuke's long arms. He quickly grabbed her before she got far, and forcefully turned her around. If it had been anyone else, Rio might've actually been frightened.

"Come on, Princess, you're bugging me," Kousuke murmured, trying not to draw attention. "What're you hiding that's making you all giddy, hm?"

"Oh, fine, fine. Let go. Jeez." Rio rolled her eyes, violently shaking the arm of hers that Kousuke had taken prisoner. He let go without hesitation, and with a sigh, she walked over to the side of the hallway in order to avoid the parade of students rushing to their classes. Kousuke followed like a lost puppy. Rio set down her backpack then and swiftly opened it, pulling out a small notebook he had seen before. She opened the notebook, and from it fell two pieces of paper to the floor.

She quickly picked them up, and they shone in the sunlight. Rectangular shaped, with rounded corners—whatever they were, she was taking excellent care of them. He decided to make a guess.

"Tickets?" the redhead questioned cautiously.

"London!" she exclaimed with a grin. She kissed the tickets in her hand as if they were her pets. "Eyes is going to do a special piano recital there. And he invited _me_ to go with him, for a whole week! Isn't it great?"

"Uh…sure," Kousuke replied, looking slightly disappointed. "For you, I guess. And _that's_ why you're all happy?"

"Well, wouldn't you be?" Rio asked; her smile was still a mile wide.

"I suppose I should be," he said in a laugh, after a moment's thought. "I get a break from baby-sitting you."

Rio couldn't explain it, but she couldn't help but feel that there was something he was hiding. His laughter seemed like it was forced; his entire reaction seemed anything but genuine. It was like a child lying to his parents—saying 'Yes mommy, school was great, I loved it,' when in reality, he just wanted to go to his room and sulk because the other kids picked on him. It was then that she realized something, just as they were walking into class. Something that, if possible, made her grin even wider than it already was.

"You're going to miss me," she sang.

"What?" Kousuke exclaimed defensively, facing her. "Don't make me laugh."

"Yes! Yes, you are!" Rio laughed. "I annoy you, but you've gotten so used to it that you _miss_ me when I'm not around!"

"I just told you, I'll be _happy_, not having to take care of you."

"You're lying."

"You _wish_ I was."

"Yeah, so do you," Rio replied confidently. "Just admit it!"

"Do you promise to shut up?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe." She thought about it for a moment, as his green eyes looked at her critically. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, yes. I promise."

"Fine. I'll miss you," he blurted out.

"Good."

"Okay, then."

"Fine!"

Rio giggled; and she could tell that Kousuke was fighting back a smirk. Teasing him always was entertaining—especially when she won. Together the two finally walked into their first class of the day, and had about five minutes to goof around before they were interrupted.

Like clockwork, their teacher walked in at that very moment, opening the door loudly to announce his entrance. It succeeded in scaring most of the students, as he planned. This included Kousuke and Rio of course, who immediately bolted to their respective seats before he could notice. He had taken them by surprise; for a moment there, the two Blade Children almost forgot they were in a classroom. They sat nervously and idly, waiting for him to say something...

When he didn't however, they relaxed; turning to each other and making faces. Hand gestures. Rio smiled, taking the moment to place her precious ticket to London back in her backpack before she lost it.

Their teacher finally did begin class, and even though school was probably the last place she wanted to be, Rio still found it in her to smile. She couldn't wait for her trip, to be away from Japan and the Hunters. And even though Kousuke would never admit it, he was smiling now too. She knew he would miss her. She could tell.

And she would miss him, too.

* * *

_**A/N: **I thought this fic would be appropriate to post—hehe, I am off on a trip myself in about ten days or so. It'll be for more than week, though...but anyways. Yeah, as usual: cute. Fluffy. All while keeping Rio's canon crush on Eyes._

_I think I did pretty well. :) Thanks for reading!_


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